A Heart's Betrayal
by LadyYueMoon
Summary: Syaoran is a gorgeous, big time player and the heir to a major company. However, Li Enterprise won't fall into his hands until he gets married. But to a playboy, that's unthinkable... Isn't it?
1. Flowers

**LYM says (7:09 AM):  
**I find myself suddenly UNSTATISFIED with our title

_After much brainstorming..._

**PinkSakura-Chan says (9:03 AM):  
**FOR THE LOVE OF LI can we pick a title!!!

_**LYM:** This fan-fiction is co-written by PinkSakura-Chan, as was the story "Forgotten". Enjoy and please review._

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**A HEART'S BETRAYAL  
**Chapter 1: Flowers

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**Ding dong**

The door-bell to a modest little flower shop began to chime, signaling the arrival of a new customer. A tall, handsome young man stepped into the boutique, his gaze sweeping the entire bulk of the shop. Which wasn't much.

"Welcome, I'll be with you in a moment. Please feel free to browse around."

The man's warm, amber eyes locked onto the woman behind the counter. She was shuffling through a stack of red and yellow papers, frowning all the while.

_Looks like someone's worried,_ he smirked.

Pocketing his hands, the chocolate-haired hunk continued to eye the young lady while pretending to look around the store. He noted her slim, short build, as well as her breathtaking beauty. But there was also something else about the auburn-haired woman.

_Naïve innocence,_ he thought, unable to stop the grin that worked its way from ear to ear. He watched secretly as the attractive lady stacked all her papers neatly together and slid them into a drawer. Quickly picking up a fake flower and pretending to examine it, the strange man waited as the sound of dainty footsteps drew nearer.

"I'm sorry for the wait, sir. My name is Sakura, how may I help you?"

The tall man turned towards the store owner and barely managed to hide his obvious surprise. This lady, this Sakura, she was even more beautiful up-close and smiling.

The stranger was rooted to his spot, unable to tear his gaze away from her. She had the most enchanting emerald eyes, bordered by thick, dark, curly lashes.

If Sakura hadn't blinked shortly after, no doubt this man would have remained in his position for a good while longer, unable to form a single coherent thought. And that's how it usually was when random men first caught sight of the stunning young woman. Whether it was her genuine smile, her modest dress, her shiny hair, her sparkling eyes or whatever else, it was clear she was something different. Something special.

"Sir?"

_Fit for the soon-to-be-owner of Li Enterprises._

"Yes!" The young man slightly shouted, clearly startled out of his thoughts. Coughing politely whilst regaining his composure, he calmly added, "I apologize. I was simply taken aback by the… errr… simple elegance of your shop."

"Why thank you very much, sir," beamed Sakura, clearly pleased with the compliment. "Now, how may I help you?"

"I'm looking for a gift for my friends' girlfriend's birthday. I'm not sure what would be appropriate for this kind of event, but I was told her favorite flowers where lilies and tulips," said the handsome stranger, gesturing towards the wrong flowers.

Sakura suppressed the giggle that attempted to wiggle up her throat.

"Those are poppies, sir. However, I'm assuming your friend will be getting his girlfriend her favorite flowers, so that won't do," commented Sakura, tapping her chin lightly in obvious contemplation. "Yellow roses," she piped up, snapping her fingers suddenly. "Yellow roses represent joy and friendship. Coupled with some Bells of Ireland for good luck and you're set. Sound good?"

"Sure," agreed the tall man, flashing her one of his best smiles, which she didn't really seem to notice.

_Man she's way into this flower junk,_ he thought._ She didn't even notice my dashing smile!_

He watched as the shop owner gathered a dozen long stem, yellow roses and some long, green stems of what he could only assume were Bells of Ireland. His amber eyes wandered the length of her body as she began to artfully weave the plants together, her long, creamy, delicate fingers working quickly yet gently.

"Tada!" she announced, slipping her work of art into a plastic flower-enclosure.

"It looks perfect," he remarked, throwing out another best smile. "Sakura was it?"

"Sure was," Sakura smiled back, her green eyes glowing happily. Walking behind the counter, the auburn-haired beauty proceeded to wrap up her customers order. "Your total runs up to one-hundred and seven dollars, sir."

_Pheeewwwwi, _thought the handsome man, handing the young woman a platinum credit card. _A hundred and seven dollars is nothing to cry about, but for some measly little flowers? What a waste. I could have had that Italian Alessa for that much._

"Thank you sir," smiled Sakura, handing him the flowers. "Have fun at that party!"

"Of course," he grinned back, taking the bouquet out of her hands, making sure to purposely glide his fingers along her own. It didn't seem to have any kind of effect on her.

_Man. Is she some sort of robot or something? There's no way that didn't just raise the hairs on the back of her neck. My hands are silky soft!_

The chocolate-haired man turned and began to leave.

"Wait!" Sakura called out, rushing around the counter. "I forgot to give this back," she said apologetically, holding his card out for him.

"Oh, how silly of me," he replied, sliding his credit card back into his wallet before returning it to his back pocket. "Say, Sakura…" he began huskily, staring into her eyes for effect. The little bell above the door went off unnoticed as he continued his proposal. "Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

"Syaoran, you jerk! I've been waiting in the car for like, ever! I knew it shouldn't be taking you this long to buy me some flowers, and here you are hitting on some store owner!" The lady shouted angrily before turning to a frowning Sakura and giving her a fake smile. "Hi. I'm his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Sakura's frown deepened as she turned to the man in question.

"That's right!" Declared the strange girl, glaring up at the very tall Syaoran.

"Umi, I thought-"

"Umi? Who's Umi?" She shouted even louder, jabbing the young guy with her finger. "You've been cheating on me! I knew it! You-you jerk!"

Suddenly, a tiny little bird popped out of an adorable clock hanging on the wall behind the counter.

"Well what do you know, closing time," said Sakura, offering the both of them a tight smile. The strange lady hmphed and stomped out of the store, not even bothering to hold the door open for her assumedly now EX-boyfriend.

-

Sakura plopped down heavily unto the old couch in her small apartment.

"Meow," her butterball of a cat greeted her, jumping up next to her.

Sakura absentmindedly cuddled her adorable feline, stroking its long, soft, shiny hair in a rhythmic way. Her mood had fallen considerably after what had happened with that Syaoran fellow. It seemed the weight of the world had decided to settle on her slim shoulders

Sakura was very lonely. Her older brother, Touya, had gotten married a year and half ago and moved to America with his wife. Her mother died three years ago due to cancer and her father up and left when she was barely four. He had deserted them; left them in the dust. Sakura didn't care to think of her dad. She hadn't known him and doesn't care to get to know him after what he had done. However, she missed her brother dearly. But even more so, she missed her mother.

Thankfully, she at least had two things in life. One was her mother's flower shop, her pride and joy. And the other was her pudgy kitty Tamahome, a gift from her now-married best friend.

Sliding off the couch, Sakura went to the kitchen to make herself some herbal tea, her adorable Siamese-colored cat happily trotting along behind her. After putting the tea pot on the burner, Sakura filled Tamahome's food bowl and proceeded to pat his head softly as he ate. Soon after, the tea pot whistled loudly, announcing that the water was now ready.

_What am I going to do?_ She thought as she fixed herself a cup of tea and returned to the couch, her eyes continuing to hold a far off look. It wasn't long before she found herself fighting the tears that threatened to spill. Blinking them back, she quickly finished her herbal tea and rinsed out the cup. Petting Tamahome once more, Sakura walked to the bathroom and stepped into a warm shower.

_What am I going to do, mother?_ She thought once again, wrapping a towel around her small frame.

Entering her room, Sakura pulled on a pair of pink pajama shorts and a matching top. She padded over to a small bookcase in the corner of her room and contemplated on what to read. Grabbing one of her mother's older books, she sat down on her comfortable bed and began to read.

-

Sakura's eyes slowly fluttered open as she rolled onto her side. Her book slid off the bed and hit the floor with a whack, startling the 23-year-old woman into a sitting position. A moment later, emerald eyes widened as they locked onto glowing, red numbers.

_9:40! Crap!_

Like a lightning bolt Sakura jolted out of bed and into the bathroom, frantically brushing her teeth and hair. She was really late.

After splashing a handful of water on her face, Sakura quickly dried her face with a towel and darted to her dresser. In the blink of an eye, the petite young lady pulled out a pair of black jeans along with a lavender babydoll tee, and donned them. Grabbing for her keys, purse and shoes, Sakura threw the front door open and bolted out, making her way towards the flower shop at an alarming speed. That is, until she remembered she had to feed Tamahome.

After feeding her cute butterball cat, she ran out the door once again. Six blocks later and she slowed her pace, her beloved shop coming into view.

Sakura's heart stilled at the sight of three large men loading familiar items into a huge van. And there was Chiharu, standing faithfully at the shop door, brandishing her fists at the men while yelling at the top of her lungs about unfairness and lawsuits.

Sakura walked up behind Chiharu, touching her shoulder gently before stepping forward and addressing the bulky men.

"Hey! What's going on here?" She demanded as she took a peak into her store. It seemed that most of her belongings were already moved out and stored away in the large, yellow van parked behind her.

One of the men carefully set a box of vases down and turned to Sakura, handing her a plain white card. Chiharu moved to stand behind Sakura, curious as to what her friend was just given.

"What's this?" Questioned Sakura, confused as to why she was just handed a strange phone number. "And what're you doing with my things?!"

"Call the number," the guy grunted, bending down to pick up the heavy box of vases. Pushing past both ladies, he quickly loaded it onto the truck before disappearing into the shop once more.

"Chi, let me use your cell."

Chiharu nodded and began rummaging around in her purse for the phone.

Sakura shakily dialed the number and waited as it rang three times. A little click sounded before a man's voice was heard on the other line.

"I am standing here watching my shop being pulled apart without explanation, and all I've been told is to call this number!"

"Yes Miss Kinomoto. Meet me at Rei's Cafe, Avalon Avenue. We'll take things from there."

Without another word, the line went dead.

"What happened?" Chiharu asked, dropping her cell phone back in her bag.

"I have to meet someone at Rei's Cafe."

-

Sakura slowly and hesitantly entered the café, completely unsure of what she was supposed to be looking for. What she WAS sure of, however, was her anger. She was furious that someone was tearing her shop apart, and found it very difficult not to stomp her foot and scream like a banshee right in public.

Breathing in deeply to calm her nerves, Sakura picked her way towards a table near the window and sat down. She watched the door to the café, searching the face of every person who came in. It wasn't long before a tall man stepped through, the same man that was at her shop the day before. But this time he held a different look; an aura of arrogance seemed to cling to every inch of him. His arrogance was clearly portrayed in every move he made, even his walk.

_God I hope it isn't him I'm here to meet,_ she thought, openly glaring at the man.

Syaoran smirked as his eyes finally fell open his target; his glaring target, no less.

Chuckling mentally, the amber-eyed player walked over to Sakura's table and stood a mere two feet away from her chosen seat. He offered her a cocky smirk.

"Miss Kinomoto."

Sakura abruptly stood up, her glare turning deadly. She made an attempt to push past him but he caught her upper arm in a firm hold and pulled her close, his lips inches away from her ear.

"If you want your shop back then I suggest you sit down and have a drink with me."

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**LYM: PLEASE REVIEW! **No really. Do you know how disheartening it is to see a hundred hits and only two reviews?! Or 14 THOUSAND hits and only about 400 reviews? What does it mean?! 

**PS-C: **FOR THE LOVE OF LI, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!

**LYM: **O.o Ahem, yes. So kindly review, oh faithful readers!

**PS-C: **FOR THE LOVE OF LI, BE FAITHFUL READERS AND REVIEWERS!


	2. Strictly Business

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**A HEART'S BETRAYAL****  
**Chapter 2: Strictly Business

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"Get your hands off me!" Sakura demanded, attempting to pull free of Syaoran's iron-grip hold on her upper arm. 

The amber-eyed man simply ignored her words and shoved her none-too-gently towards her former seat, his eyes daring her to oppose him.

"Like I said, if you want your shop back, you better sit down," he sneered, letting go of her arm. However, long, red, finger marks remained on her porcelain skin, a silent witness to the forceful moment.

Sakura growled audibly, announcing her anger and annoyance quite clearly. Begrudgingly, she sat back down and proceeded to glare daggers -very sharp, poisoned daggers- at the man sitting across from her.

A perky waitress suddenly made her appearance, a wide smile gracing her overly-painted face.

"Are you two ready to order?" She asked, looking from one to the other, completely oblivious to the air of loathing and hostility surrounding the table.

"I'll have a cup of coffee, black, sugar only," Syaoran ordered, momentarily breaking glaring eye contact with Sakura in order to flash a charming smile to the young waitress.

"Nothing for me, thank you," smiled Sakura, not allowing her anger and irritation with the strange man affect her behavior with others.

"I'll be right out with that," the waitress declared, offering both customers a smile, her eyes lingering a few moments longer on the chocolate-haired stud.

_Now that's more like it,_ thought Syaoran, noting the waitress's obvious attraction to him.

Sakura turned to face the amber-eyed man once more to resume her glaring; sharp, poisoned daggers and all.

_What a mean woman,_ he thought, glancing at her indifferently, a purposeful attempt to miff her and get her to believe he didn't care one bit whether she was glaring at him or not. But of course, he did care. If an attractive lady wasn't swooning over him or admiring him in any other way, it was very worrying; very unnatural. _I don't know what I was thinking yesterday. The mixed scents of those flowers must have messed with my head. Any female able to resist my charms is obviously unstable. It's just too bad this is the perfect opportunity; otherwise I'd be well on my way by now._

Syaoran continued to ignore Sakura's obvious hate towards him, remaining silent until his coffee was brought to him. He thanked the waitress and watched as she grinned suggestively before turning around and sashaying off to another table. Sakura barely managed not to puke.

"Now then," began Syaoran, sipping his coffee rather condescendingly.

"Yes, could we get on with this?"

The tall, handsome young man put his cup down and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers in a very business-like way, all humor and arrogance wiped from his face.

"You'll get your shop back, once you agree to my business proposal," he stated matter-of-factly, his amber-eyes boring into emerald ones.

"You have no right to close my shop! Who do you think you are?" Demanded Sakura, her blood seemingly beginning to boil.

"You need my help, as I am in need of-"

"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't need anyone's help," Sakura interrupted angrily, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair stubbornly.

"Oh I think you do, Ms. Kinomoto," Syaoran began haughtily, taking another sip of his coffee. "You see, I've taken the liberty of looking into your financial situation. You're barely making the minimum payments on that little shop as it is. And soon you'll be forced to choose between paying the apartment rent and feeding your precious pet as well as yourself."

Sakura's anger was quickly forgotten as she was reminded of her current situation.

"Without my help, Little Blossom will be lost forever."

An arrogant smirk graced his flawless face once again as he reached into the inner-pocket of his black business suit and withdrew a considerable amount of folded papers before plopping them down in the middle of the table. Sakura recognized them right away as the documents she had been skimming over yesterday, when Syaoran had first entered her precious shop. Her extremely late, unpaid bills.

"Where did you get these?" Asked Sakura, shakily picking up one of the papers.

"The where's, why's and who's are of little importance, Ms. Kinomoto. Just know that I have connections in high places. Along with the right amount of leverage, the right amount of money, I can have my way pretty much under any circumstances. But let's put the past behinds us, shall we? There are more important matters to discuss at hand."

Sakura dropped the paper back on top of the stack of documents and looked up at Syaoran.

"What kind of help are you offering?" She asked.

Syaoran grinned.

"I will personally pay off all your credit cards, bills and payments, as well as give your credit score a substantial boost. I will also purchase the land your store is situated on, as well as the store itself, and have the deeds drawn up in your name. Furthermore, if you agree, I will remodel as well as expand Little Blossom and pay the wages of any and all employees you decide to hire."

"And what would my part be in all this?" inquired Sakura, her heart skipping a beat at the prospect of being pulled out of her financial nightmare and officially owning the shop, instead of doing as her mother did and renting the space for the little business.

"Simple. My father passed away roughly three months ago and he-"

"I'm so sorry," interrupted Sakura, her facial expressions softening, her hate for the man briefly forgotten.

Syaoran was taken aback by her unexpected show of compassion but quickly regained his thoughts and thanked her for her condolences, albeit a bit uncaringly.

"As I was saying," he continued. "My father passed away recently, leaving a major company in the hands of my mother. In truth, the Li Enterprise is mine to inherit, but due to certain stipulations, I have yet to gain possession of it."

_This can't be good,_ thought Sakura, clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking visibly.

"It is clearly stated, in my father's will, that before complete ownership rights are transferred to me I must marry. Once I am married, the Li Enterprise as well as all the other controlled companies will be mine, entirely."

"You're not serious are you?" she asked incredulously, only to be met by a calm, straight face. "This has got to be a nightmare," she groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Ms. Kinomoto, my proposal is quite simple."

"Simple? How can you call that simple?"

"It is simple in the fact that both of our problems could easily be solved if you would simply slip on a ring, sign a marriage contract, and do a bit of acting."

Sakura stared at Syaoran, mouth hanging open slightly. He couldn't possibly be serious. This was the most ridiculous proposition she had ever heard of.

"Once we are married, it is imperative that you do not gape like a fish, as you are doing at this very moment," Syaoran said matter-of-factly, drinking more of his coffee.

Sakura promptly shut her mouth at his comment and resumed glaring at him.

"Well?"

"I don't know about this. I feel like there should be more to it."

"There is nothing more."

"Well then I need to think it over."

"I don't have time for that. The deal is simple enough," sighed Syaoran, eyebrows pulled together. "We play the husband and wife role, you get pulled out of your financial hell AND get the store back."

Anger flared up in Sakura once again at the mention of her precious shop and the memory of the three bulky men taking her belongings.

Abruptly, Sakura stood from her chair and looked down at the chocolate-haired man, her emerald eyes full of detestation.

"I don't need your help with my shop," she hissed venomously, resisting the urge to shout at him so as not to draw attention from the other diners.

When it came to Little Blossom, Sakura was prideful of the fact that she had managed to keep it running all on her own for over 3 years. And although she was behind in her payments, she hoped that one day a couple would walk in and ask her to take care of the flower arrangements for their wedding. Just as her best friend Tomoyo had done.

_If mother was able to manage the store while supporting the both of us, then I can surely do the same for me and Tamahome,_ she thought, imagining her cute feline.

"Fine," snapped Syaoran. He briskly took out his cell phone, punched in some numbers and waited a few seconds before speaking. "Li, Syaoran here. Have you finished yet?" The young man paused to listen for the reply. "Wonderful. Stop loading things and wait for Ms. Kinomoto to come unload everything." Flipping his phone shut, Syaoran grinned at a seething Sakura. "Have fun unloading everything," he smiled conceitedly, standing up and making his way towards the waitress who had served them earlier.

A look of disgust crossed Sakura's face as she watched the two flirting shamelessly.

_Unbelievable. How can __anyone__ stand that guy? He's so snooty and __rude_

Deciding not to dwell on the matter, Sakura shook her head clear of those thoughts and headed for the exit.

-

As she made her way back to the flower store, Sakura contemplated on whether or not she had made the right decision.

Rounding the last corner, Sakura stopped dead in her tracks and took in the following scene.

The yellow van that had been parked in front of her shop was now across the street. In its place was a gigantic dump-truck, slightly filled with what looked to be wood and drywall. A chain of men, which started from the back of the truck and disappeared into her shop, were quickly passing chunks of wood and drywall to each other, where the last man would hurl it onto the truck before grabbing the next piece to do the same.

_Oh my god,_ thought Sakura, quickly running up to her store, fearful of what she might find.

"OH MY GOD!" Sakura screamed at the sight of her once-precious shop. It wasn't simply bare, but it was also missing the entire back wall as well as half of one of the side walls. Clutching at her hair, she watched in horror as two shirtless men worked with sledgehammers to reduce the rest of the side wall to mere rubble. "What the heck is going on?!" She shouted, only just recognizing the many steel beams that supported the roof where her back wall had once been.

"Sakura!" Chiharu's cheerful voice suddenly bounced of the walls.

The auburn haired girl turned towards the direction of the call, eyes widening at the sight of her good friend tied to a chair.

"Oh my god, Chi! Who did this to you?!" Sakura cried out, moving to untie the ropes, completely mortified at the idea that someone had actually tied the brunette down.

"Oh," giggled the brown-eyed girl, watching as her friend untied her. "That dark haired shirtless one over there," she grinned, indicating the direction of the man with her chin. "It was all in good nature really. He told me he didn't want me to get hurt so he was just going to have to tie me up for my own safety!"

Sakura gaped at Chiharu in disbelief. Her friend was nuts. No really, she had actually enjoyed being tied to the chair by some strange man. AND, it was very obvious that the man was not going to suffer a lawsuit.

"Chiharu! Do you see what's going on here? They're RUINING the store!"

"Well I tried to stop them," pouted Chiharu. "It's just that they're all strong and full of ripped muscles! How am I supposed to go up against that?! Or even resist…" The brunette trailed off inaudibly, drifting over towards the man she had mentioned earlier.

Sakura sighed. What was she thinking? How did she expect to keep running the store in her current situation? And did she really think she could move all her belongings back into her shop?

_Those display shelves aren't exactly made of paper!_ She thought, angry tears threatening to spill. _If I had the money for a lawyer, I would definitely sue that vile man!_

Sakura blinked back her tears and allowed her shoulders to slump, finally accepting the reality of the situation; finally accepting defeat. She had failed. She had failed her mother. She had failed herself.

Making up her mind, Sakura fished around in her jean pocket for the card with Syaoran's number on it. Staring down at the number in her hands, the young lady turned around to ask Chiharu for her cell phone, but stopped midway as a pair of feet came into her line of vision. Her head snapped up instantly and her eyes registered the devil himself.

Syaoran was standing a mere two feet away from her, smug expression and all, a small black box lying in his outstretched palm.

"What the hell have you done to my shop?" Screeched Sakura, pointing an angry finger in the direction of her nonexistent walls, that smug expression grating on her last nerve.

"I knew there was no way you could refuse my offer," Syaoran grinned, "so I decided to get the expanding and remodeling underway. It needs to be bigger and better if a Li is going to run it and own it."

Sakura glanced down at the little box, suddenly feeling queasy and lightheaded.

"Take the ring and there will be nothing more to worry about," he whispered, wanting none but the possessor of emerald eyes to hear.

Before his arrogance had a chance to get her all worked up again, Sakura quickly snatched the ring-box out of his hand and glared at him.

"Good. Now take a ride with me, we've got more to talk about," Syaoran more demanded than asked before turning around and walking out the store, or rather, what was left of the store.

"Chiharu," Sakura called out to her friend, slipping the ring box into her jean pocket. She really didn't want to discuss this with anyone yet. She wasn't even sure she was allowed to.

"Yes?" Replied the brunette, skipping over to the petite store-owner.

"I'll be heading out for a while," explained Sakura, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll give you a call later, okay?"

"Sure thing, Saku," smiled Chiharu, hugging her friend before returning to the shirtless men who were continuing to knock down the side wall.

Sakura shook her head at her friend's behavior, amused at the fact that the other girl was completely infatuated with a man that had tied her to a chair.

A loud horn sounded, reminding the auburn-haired girl that she was supposed to be going out for a drive with an obviously impatient man.

"I'm coming," she growled under her breath, making her way outside and up to the passenger side of a very sleek sports car. Careful not to feed Syaoran's already enormous ego, Sakura made no indication whatsoever that she thought his vehicle was anything special.

"Get in already!"

Annoyed, Syaoran revved the engine suddenly, startling Sakura into quickly pulling the door open and jumping in. Avoiding his eyes, she reached for the seatbelt with a shaky hand and buckled up.

"Where's the ring?" Syaoran asked as he pulled out of his parking spot.

"My pocket," replied Sakura, not bothering to look his way.

"Don't you want to look at it?" He questioned, raising his brow. Women usually couldn't wait to see the ring, whether it was theirs, their friend's, their mother's, their brother's, their cat's.

Sakura awkwardly lifted her tush off the seat and reached into her jean pocket. She quickly pulled out the little box and settled back into a comfortable position, hesitating slightly before opening it to reveal a gorgeous ring.

Sakura gasped inwardly.

The ring consisted of a platinum-silver band with a large princess-cut, pink diamond in the center, bordered by two smaller white diamonds on either side of the main stone.

"Wow," whispered Sakura, completely in awe at the ring. For one reason or the other, she was expecting some dull, bronze ring. And really, who could blame her?

"Now, for the rules of this contract," began Syaoran, evidently pleased with her reaction towards the piece of jewelry. "You are to act as my wife anytime there is even the scent of another human being around, regardless of whether or not I am there. You will refrain from disrespecting the Li name in anyway, even if it means putting an end to certain friendships with certain gaudy girls."

"Are you implying that Chiharu is gaudy?!" Sakura argued, finally turning to face him.

"Don't expect me to be home every night," Syaoran continued, opting to ignore his companion's angry outburst. "In fact, don't expect me to be home most nights. You however, must be home every night or there is sure to be a wildfire of rumors. Unlike me, you have no reason to be out. On the other hand, I have the excuse of work."

Syaoran beeped angrily at an old man who had begun to drift into his lane.

"Furthermore, our marriage must last a minimum of five years if I am to keep my father's companies. The alternative would be to have a child as soon as possible, and then file for a divorce. This, of course, is out of the question. There will be no drooling monsters coming from me. Lastly, be sure to remember that this is in no way meant to be personal or romantic, understood?"

"As long as you don't expect me to cook, clean, wash laundry, and anything else that might fall under the 'wifely duties' category, it's a deal. You get your companies, I get everything paid off and the shop."

"But you will act as my loving wife in front of others, even if that means serving me tea or lunch once in a while. Otherwise, you are exempt from all other 'wifely duties', as you put it. But if you do not act accordingly while in the company of others, I will not hesitate to fully destroy your flower shop." Stopping at a red light, Syaoran turned to Sakura with a dead serious look on his face. "I mean it. You do anything to tarnish my good name, Sakura, and it will be the end of Little Blossom."

* * *

**LYM:** Wow. So that was a pretty long chapter, eh? Well you guys deserved it ;D Thank you all for your honest reviews! One of you was dead on with their assumption of Syaoran's motives. Go you! 

**PS-C: **Yes! We absolutely loved all your reviews! Also, be sure to check out my **NEW C2 **guys! And keep those reviews coming :D


	3. Changes

**DISCLAIMER:** CCS belongs to clamp. Period.

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**A HEART'S BETRAYAL  
**Chapter 3: Changes

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_It has been almost two weeks since Syaoran decided to crash into my life, _thought a young, auburn-haired woman, steering a luxurious, cherry-red vehicle with ease. 

It was a bright and sunny day with little birds singing at the top of their little lungs, lazily perched on the branches of various trees.

Sakura was very excited, to say the least, at the prospect of stepping into a newly transformed version of Little Blossom, her late mother's dear flower shop. She definitely had to admit that the remodeling hadn't taken as long as she would have thought. In a short thirteen days, Syaoran had taken control of her life; surprisingly for the better. Aside from his constant gloating and self appraisal, he had done a lot for her.

He had moved her out of her old, tiny, run-down apartment and into a much bigger and newer apartment, one that resided in the same complex as his. Aside from that, he had furnished the entire residence with the latest styles in furniture, from her bedroom to her bathroom and everything in between. Anything she could possibly need was neatly stacked in cupboards and closets, ranging from dishes to towels to bed sheets and so on.

And to top it all off, her brand new, shiny Mitsubishi was delivered to her by one of his personal assistants.

_What a nice man Daichi was, _smiled Sakura, coming to a smooth stop at a red light. _Very gentlemanly. I wonder how he ended up working for a monster like Syaoran._

And a monster he was, indeed. The day after Sakura had accepted his business proposal, Syaoran sent a rather small moving truck to her run down apartment before the sun had even thought of rising. He had personally banged on her door at 5am, forcing her awake.

Sakura recalled the events of the day as she continued driving to the store, her windows down and the cool spring-wind dancing with her long, shiny locks.

"_What? You're still asleep?" Syaoran had asked incredulously, pushing past her to survey her living quarters, his eyes roaming over the many boxes that were stacked in neat piles; boxes that Sakura had packed the day before, as ordered by her soon-to-be-ogre-of-a-husband. "Good Lord, how could anyone live like th- What the hell is that?"_

_The chocolate-haired man had pointed an accusing finger at an adorable feline who had just emerged from the bedroom, yawning and meowing sleepily, wondering what all the noise was about._

"_Oh!" Sakura exclaimed happily, picking her chubby cat up as three men stepped into her apartment and began seizing boxes. "This is Tamahome. Say hi, Tamahome."_

_Syaoran had spared a glance at the creature before turning back to Sakura._

"_The cat stays," he had scoffed, brushing an imaginary cat-hair off his forest green, button-up t-shirt._

_This resulted in an endless word-war between the two adults, one that didn't cease even as Syaoran decided to brave a commoner's bathroom._

"_HE STAYS," the young man had bellowed over the whoosh of a flushing toilet, followed by the unmistakable sound of running water. Sakura had rolled her eyes and continued to stroke her beloved pet as he lay in her arms._

"_Now don't you have any towels in this God-forsaken dump?" He growled, exiting the bathroom with wet hands._

"_All packed," smirked Sakura, indicating the few remaining boxes that lay in the midst of her living room floor._

_Syaoran turned and glared at Tamahome, as if it was the young cat's fault that there were no towels around. He then purposefully wrung his hands out in the direction of the feline, flinging drops of water at the glossy coat of hair. Tamahome simply stared back at the arrogant human, unaffected._

_Sakura laughed._

"_He likes that you know," she had said, grinning down at her fluffy companion. _

Tamahome 1, Syaoran 0, _she thought, stepping to the side to allow one of the three men to grab the last box._

_Syaoran commenced yelling at Sakura for even considering taking the worthless, living creature along with her. Then, to the emerald-eyed lady's amusement, the grown man had looked down at Tamahome and began yelling at him as well. _

"_This fat, pathetic, disgusting, moronic, good-for-nothing cat is not going!" Syaoran snarled, looking up at Sakura._

"_Really now?" The young lady challenged, raising a perfect eyebrow and turning to walk out of her old apartment. Upon reaching the doorway, she turned around and stuck her tongue out at the amber-eyed man before continuing on her way._

_Syaoran followed her down to his car, yelling about the cat all the while, oblivious to the many parted curtains and curious neighbors all around._

Sakura chuckled quietly at the memory as she parked her brand new vehicle in front of Little Blossom, only now noticing the completely redesigned exterior. Grabbing her purse, she slid out of the car and shut the door, subconsciously wondering if she had stopped at the wrong place. The little coffee shop that had been in business on the left side of Little Blossom was no longer there. In its place was more of Little Blossom!

"Sakura!"

Blinking, the auburn-haired woman turned towards the sound of the voice, catching site of a happy Chiharu running towards her.

"Sakura," panted the brunette, hugging her friend tightly before pulling back and fixing her with a hard stare. "Where have you been? I went to your apartment and the landlord said you had moved out! For the past eleven days I've been worried, Sakura! And is this your car? AND OH MY GOD WHERE'S YOUR STORE?!" Chiharu gasped and took a step back, only just now noticing the changes in the area.

"This IS Little Blossom, Chi," smiled Sakura, pulling her friend back a couple of steps to see the humongous, floral sign that read 'Little Blossom', before proceeding to unlock the front door of the store. "And I'm really sorry for not calling you. I've just been so busy moving and unpacking and everything. But don't worry; I'll explain everything later on if you'd like. We can go back to my place for a quick dinner before you have to go work at the Salon or something."

Sakura pushed open the fancy, front door of her beloved shop and flipped the light switch on, illuminating the brand new layout of Little Blossom's new design and look.

Both girls gasped simultaneously.

Where there was once creaky, wood flooring, there was now hard marble, along with a gigantic, floral rug that lay beneath lounging furniture. The shelves were also upgraded, spanning entire walls and sectioned beautifully; artfully.

The two ladies made their way across the floor, completely in awe at the major changes in the store. They had even wandered into a rather large back room filled with merchandise ranging from a variety of fake flowers, vases, pots, seeds, soil and anything to do with planting flora. There was also what looked to be a glass, walk-in refrigeration system with many real flowers already stored in there for easy access.

"It's so beautiful... Sakura, how did you manage to get all this done?"

The store-owner stopped looking through a box of false flowers and turned to her friend.

"Later Chi, let's get working."

Sakura quickly put her keys in her purse and walked out of the storage room and into the main room, grabbing Chiharu's bag on the way before depositing all their items in a big drawer behind the counter with the register on it. She then walked back into the previous room and helped the brunette with a big box of pretty, glass vases and decorative pots. They carefully placed the box near one of the shelving units in the main area of the store and began stocking different sections of the unit.

"I've missed you so much, Saku," began Chiharu as she carefully placed another vase on the shelf. "I have so much to tell you!"

"I'm so sorry, Chi," frowned Sakura, wondering why she had been spending time with that arrogant buffoon instead of hanging out with one of her best friends. "So what's happened? What's been going on?"

"Weeell… I went on a couple of dates with Takashi," Chiharu exclaimed happily, reaching into the box for the last vase before putting it on display.

"Takashi? Who's that?"

"That guy who tied me up," the brunette sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together with a gleam in her eye. "In the middle of him working on the wall, I asked him out. He was so stunned that I had done that," she laughed thinking back on it. "You should've seen it! He was all like," she cleared her voice to impersonate this Takashi guy. "Did you just ask me out?"

Sakura laughed as she placed the last of the decorative pots on the shelf and stood up straight. She turned to her friend and smiled happily, hugging the other girl tightly.

"That's so great, Chi! I'm so happy for you! When do you plan on seeing him next?"

Before Chiharu could answer, a little bell above the door rang out, echoing through the store. Both women turned around to greet the customer, only to come face to face with a familiar, tall, broad shouldered, young man standing in the middle of the shop with a pair of sunglasses on. The man slowly and dramatically took his specs off, his critical eyes inspecting the shop.

"Syaoran-"

"This is muuuuch better. Everything is a great deal better thanks to me. It looked worse than trash before I came into the picture," Syaoran gloated arrogantly, smirking at Sakura.

Sakura scowled, withholding the gratitude she had planned to show the young man for everything he had done. Instead, she bent down and grabbed the huge box off the floor before stalking into the back room.

"Did you come to buy flowers for your friends' girlfriend's birthday?" She called out sarcastically.

Syaoran simply ignored her comment and pulled out his wallet.

"You need to leave early today. You'll be meeting my mother and sister for dinner tonight," he said, pulling a golden card out of his money-holder.

"I can't, I've already made plans with Chiharu for the night," explained Sakura, reemerging from the back room with a sour look on her face.

Syaoran looked at the brunette standing a few feet away from him.

"Unimportant," he announced, turning back to Sakura. "Now take this credit card and go buy something nice for tonight. It's under my name, but I've put you on the list of Approved Users. However, this absolutely does not mean that you can go out and waste my hard-earned cash, understood? Now, be sure to be ready by five, I'll be picking you up straight from work."

"But I'm busy!" Sakura glared, crossing her arms defiantly, ignoring the card being held out to her. "Reschedule the dinner."

Syaoran slipped his wallet into his back pocket, put his sunglasses on and tossed the card to Sakura.

"Be ready by five."

He turned on his heels and walked to the exit, pushing the front door open before pausing for a second.

"And try to look pretty tonight," he threw over his shoulder, stepping outside and allowing the store door to shut behind him.

"I hate that man!" Sakura shouted, her knuckles whitening as she clutched onto the gold card tightly.

"What was that about?" Chiharu raised an eyebrow and watched as her friend walked behind the counter and gathered their belonging.

"Come on, I'll fill you in as we shop."

-

Sakura handed Syaoran's credit card to the saleslady and waited to sign the receipt at a fancy store in the mall. She had bought herself an outfit for later that night as well as a little something for her friend, Chiharu.

The cashier lady smiled and handed Sakura the bill along with a pen, indicating that she should sign at the bottom of the thin paper. Sakura's eyes slightly widened at the printed total near the bottom of the bill, a whopping $327. The auburn haired girl handed the pen and the yellow copy of the receipt to the saleslady before accepting her bagged merchandise along with the gold card.

"I can't believe you agreed to something like this, Saku," Chiharu pouted, taking one of the bags from Sakura.

"I had no other choice. I was late on the loans and every other bill I had. I couldn't even think of closing my mother's shop. It meant so much to her and it means everything to me." Feeling a sting in her chest, Sakura held her head high and kept her eyes wide open, hoping the tears would dry before they fell. When this was accomplished, she turned and smiled at her good friend. "Let's get some lunch, shall we? Syaoran's buying!"

Chiharu giggled and followed Sakura to the food court. They both ordered two chicken strip wraps and two chocolate shakes, all paid for with the credit card. After receiving their orders, the two made their way outside of the mall and settled themselves at an outdoor table.

"You want me to help you get ready?" Chiharu offered, taking a big bite of her wrap.

"That would be great!" Sakura nodded, sipping at her shake.

"We should hurry then, it's already 3:30," announced the brunette after glancing down at her watch.

Upon finishing their lunch, the two friends strolled back to the car and took off for Sakura's new apartment. After 20 minutes of driving, Chiharu had exactly one hour to get the emerald-eyed girl ready.

"How rich is this Syaoran guy?" asked the brown-eyed girl, her eyes wandering around Sakura's new apartment in awe.

"Really, really, really rich?" shrugged Sakura, throwing her keys and purse on a very comfortable looking sectional sofa before stooping down to pet her precious kitty.

"You need to hurry and take a shower, Saku," ordered Chiharu, shooing her best friend towards the bathroom and away from the feline.

While Sakura showered, the brunette went through her own gigantic purse to find as much makeup as she could. She also rummaged through the drawers and cabinets connected to her friend's brand new vanity table. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to work with, but she figured she wouldn't need a great deal anyway.

The auburn-haired woman stepped out of the shower five minutes later, wrapped in a robe with a towel twisted upon her head. She sat down in the chair in front of her make-up desk and watched through the mirror as her part-time cosmetologist friend started working on her hair. Once Chiharu was satisfied with Sakura's long tresses, she quickly moved onto the make-up.

After what seemed like forever to the would-be-cardcaptor, Chiharu happily shouted "Tada!" announcing that she was finally done with her work.

"Now go and change quickly so I can see you all dressed and ready, I have to get to the salon for work!"

It wasn't long after that Sakura stepped out of her bedroom wearing a knee length, emerald-green, silk knit, mock turtleneck dress, with cap sleeves and black sling-back high heels, matching earrings and a bracelet on her right wrist. Chiharu had done beautifully on Sakura's hair and make-up, as well. Her hair held soft curls with a wavy effect, cascading down to the middle of her back, a simple pin holding back her bangs. With only foundation, eyeliner, mascara and some shiny lip-gloss, Sakura looked perfect.

"You look gorgeous!" Chiharu squealed, hugging her friend. "Ohhh, I've got to go. You look great! Try to have some fun, dear." Chiharu quickly gathered her things and walked to the door with Sakura behind her.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Chi!" Sakura waved as her friend descended the stairs, shutting the door once the other girl was out of her line of vision.

Just as she was turning to look at the time, Sakura was startled by the loud sound of a car beeping. Looking out the window, Sakura caught sight of Syaoran's car and growled. It was five, on the dot.

_Impatient, rude jerk!_ She thought as she hurriedly grabbed her keys and purse.

Another honk resonated throughout her apartment complex.

Sakura slowly made her way down the stairs, careful so as not to tumble down the steps in her four-inch high heels. Once she had reached the arrogant man's vehicle, she flung the door open and slid onto the passenger seat, buckling up quickly and turning towards the driver, only to find him staring at her. Sakura raised a perfectly arched brow in question.

"Not great, but it'll have to do," grunted Syaoran, pulling away from the curb.

Sakura threw her "fiancé" a dirty look before fixing her gaze on the windshield, adamant on ignoring the insufferable man for the rest of the ride.

The drive was long and irritating as Syaoran's cell phone rang endlessly. At least four times he had been sweet talking some naive girl, and only once was he talking business with someone. It was an excruciating forty minutes before they pulled into the driveway of a huge mansion.

"This is your mother's house?" Sakura asked in monotone, still stung by his earlier comment and his audacity to flirt with others in her presence, even if their whole engagement was a fake.

Without a word, Syaoran turned off the engine and got out of the car, making his way around to Sakura's side before opening the passenger door. The phony couple walked up the long pathway to the front door of the mansion, where Syaoran unexpectedly grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her closer to him.

"Do not do anything foolish in any way; my mother is not easily deceived. If you do or say anything not to my liking, there will be a price to pay. Understood?" He hissed, his face mere inches away from her own.

Sakura nodded dumbly, eliciting a grin from Syaoran as he reached out to ring the doorbell, his fingers intertwining softly with hers. Sakura held her breath; it was time to play the role of Syaoran's beloved fiancé.

* * *

**LYM: **A special thanks to all those who have reviewed. PinkSakura-Chan and I had actually planned to upload this chapter on the 13th of April (this coming Friday), but due to the amount of reviews we had received, we decided to push ourselves and put it up earlier :) We hope you all enjoyed this installment! 


	4. Dinner

**DISCLAIMER:** CCS belongs to clamp. Period.

* * *

**A HEART'S BETRAYAL****  
**Chapter 4: Dinner

* * *

The mansion's front door flew open, revealing a very beautiful, raven-haired girl with a cheerful smile on her face. Standing next to the crimson-eyed lady was a handsome young man with dirty-blonde hair, dressed formally. 

"Xiao Lang!" The female laughed, launching herself at the 27-year-old visitor, her arms wrapped around his neck in an affectionate hug.

The amber-eyed man raised an eyebrow and patted the girl on the back. "Okay Meiling, get off."

"I never would've thought you'd get hitched big brother! But I'm really happy for you two!" Meiling exclaimed, pulling away from her sibling before walking past him to greet his fiancé.

"Congratulations! I'm Meiling, Syaoran's sister," she smiled, hugging her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

"I'm Sakura, it's nice to finally meet you."

Ruby colored eyes stared intently into emerald orbs, a quizzical expression crossing onto Meiling's features.

"Syaoran man, congrats!" The other man finally spoke, offering Syaoran a hand shake as well as a slap on the shoulder; the typical "manly" greeting.

Syaoran smirked. "Thanks Hiro. And how has my sister been treating you? Are you ready to back out yet? Hahaha."

"Nah, I'm in love with Meiling, dude. No way this engagement will fall apart," grinned Hiro, flashing a smile at Meiling. The crimson-eyed woman winked at him before grabbing hold of Sakura's hand and leading her into the mansion.

Syaoran moved inside as well and shut the door, falling into step with Hiro as they made their way towards the living room. He settled himself down beside Sakura and watched as Meiling and her fiancé made their way around to the other side of the coffee table, sinking into a grand, plush couch parallel to the one he was occupying.

_Oh God! This is so nerve-racking. Please let everything go well. Make Syaoran's mom like me!_ Sakura pleaded in her mind, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, an effort to keep from visibly shaking. The sudden sound of nearing footsteps didn't help in the least; it seemed as if a flock of butterflies had been released and encouraged to fly within her abdomen.

It wasn't long before a regal woman appeared in the doorway with an elderly man beside her. The latter cast a warm smile at Sakura, and advanced towards her.

The new female cast a look around the room, her face void of emotion, before floating ceremoniously towards an armchair set between the two couches. She lowered herself onto the soft cushion and turned to the right, watching as her late-husband's long-time-friend greeted the strange girl sitting beside her only son.

"My, my! Syaoran, is this lovely beauty your fiancée?" His genuine smile never ceased as Sakura stood to greet him, only to be enveloped in a warm hug. "I'm Wei, a friend of the Li family. I knew Syaoran's father since we were in high school, and you know what that means, Hahaha! I've known Syaoran since he was in diapers!"

Sakura laughed nervously before introducing herself. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Sir."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sakura dear. I truly wish I could stay for dinner but I must go, business calls and the like," he frowned, holding Sakura's hands in his. Looking past Sakura, the older man smiled kindly at Syaoran. "My boy, I see you've got a great young lady here."

The amber-eyed hunk stood up and accepted Wei's outstretched hand, feeling slightly guilty for tricking the one person he had immense respect for.

"My best wishes, Syaoran," the older man smiled, patting the other on the back before moving to greet the rest.

After Wei had left, everyone settled back down and waited in silence as Syaoran's mother studied Sakura, her stern eyes silently judging the young lady.

"So this is Sakura," she sniffed, her voice cool and firm. "I'm Yelan. Tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm 23 years ol-"

"I know THAT. Tell me something I don't know," interrupted Yelan, smoothing down her expensive gown.

Sakura gulped, feeling stung. She took a deep breath and tried again.

"I work at my mother's floral shop, which I-"

"Why doesn't she hire real help? What kind of mother would take advantage of her daughter out of pure greed?!" Yelan inquired rudely.

Sakura tried to hide the sadness that flashed across her eyes; a deep sorrow that went unnoticed to all except Meiling. "I inherited Little Blossom. My mother passed away three years ago due to cancer. My older brother, however, married a little over a year and a half ago and moved to America."

"What about your father?"

Sakura looked down at her hands. "He left the family when I was only four; I've never seen him since."

"Such a heartbreaking story," Yelan forged a sad smile, shaking her head. "Maybe if your mother had picked a better husband, one that would have stayed with the family, they could have made enough money to cure the cancer."

Sakura winced, feeling like she'd been slapped hard across the face.

"Mother!" Meiling's hard tone rung out as Sakura's gaze fell to the ground, a kind of humiliation spreading through her bones.

"I simply meant that men can be vile creatures indeed," Yelan spoke again, directing a hard stare towards her daughter.

_Indeed!_ _Vile, arrogant, self-centered, delusional and insufferable like your son!_ Sakura thought, raising her eyes to meet Yelan's dark ones. "May I be excused?" She began, voice thick and eyes burning. "I need to use the restroom."

"I'll show you where it is," Meiling offered, smiling kindly at the auburn-haired girl.

Once Sakura and Meiling had left the living room, Syaoran's eyes snapped in his mother's direction. "I do not want you ever speaking to her like that again mother. She is my future wife and you will respect her." His eyes blazed with anger as he played the role of protective fiancé oh so well, taking note of the surprised look on Yelan's face.

-

"I'm really sorry about my mother's choice of words," Meiling apologized, her soft voice breaking the silence.

Sakura nodded wordlessly, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She didn't want her voice to betray her current state of emotions.

"Please don't take her words to heart," she continued, touching the emerald-eyed girl's shoulders lightly as they came to a stop.

Sakura smiled in response and pretended to flick some lint off of her dress, keeping her eyes hidden from the raven-haired woman.

"Here you go," Meiling announced, pointing to the door on her right. "Dinner should almost be ready." She smiled before heading back down the way they came.

Sakura entered the bathroom with great irritation, resisting the urge to slam the door and stomp around whilst screaming at the top of her lungs. The nerve of that woman!

A lone tear slowly made its way down Sakura's smooth, creamy skin. She inhaled deeply, her hands balled into fists; she wasn't going to let Yelan, or Syaoran for that matter, hurt her. She would not cry because of what was said about her mother. She would not… She knew better than they did.

Despite her efforts, more tears began their journey down her cheeks.

-

"Mother, what you said was completely uncalled for! You knew all there was to know about her due to your obsessive background checks, and merely used the information to hurt her!" Crimson eyes flared with anger.

Yelan glared angrily at her daughter. "You, young lady, are never, never to speak to me like that again!"

Meiling forced herself to feign an apology before sitting next to her fiancé. Hiro softly took hold of his love's hands and caressed them, attempting to calm her as well as himself. Although Yelan was her mother, Hiro didn't like seeing Meiling getting yelled at.

Determined not to let her mother's hurtful tone get to her, Meiling turned to Syaoran, a curious glimmer in her eyes. "Does Sakura seem familiar to you? I feel like I've met her before."

His amber eyes held hers as he answered. "No. Don't be ridiculous, Meiling."

"Dinner is served," a maid announced, bowing her head and disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.

"I'll get Sakura," said Syaoran as all four rose from their seats. While the others shuffled towards the dining room, he quickly made his way down one of the many hallways in the mansion. Seven long strides later found him standing in front of the closest bathroom door, the one he would assume Meiling led Sakura to. He raised a hand, his knuckles poised to knock, but the door opened before he was given the chance. Sakura emerged from the bathroom and jumped slightly at his unexpected presence, quickly averting her eyes.

Syaoran could clearly see a slight redness in her eyes. "Were you crying?" He demanded, completely ignoring the tiniest, almost non-existent tug at his heart.

Sakura kept her eyes to the marble floor, ignoring his comment.

"If you can't handle a tiny insult from an old woman then maybe I shouldn't waste my time with you!" He hissed, his face inches from hers, clearly irritated at being ignored. "Maybe I should just find some prettier girl to marry; someone who wouldn't cry at the slightest insult."

Sakura's green eyes darkened. She looked up and glared at the man in front of her, steeling her voice before speaking. "Then why don't you?"

"Because it's worth it knowing I can control you," he whispered evilly, twirling a soft strand of her hair around his index finger. "I know you'll do anything to save that shop."

Syaoran leaned towards her and kissed her forehead softly. "Dinner's ready, sweetie," he chuckled, a sadistic glint flashing in his eyes as he whirled around and walked away.

Sakura stood alone in the hallway, shaking, the color drained from her face. The kiss had felt cold and heartless, akin to an unsheathed blade pressed against her skin. It had scared her; it was meant to scare her. Her eyes darkened at the realization, and as she watched Syaoran walk away, she made up her mind. She wouldn't let him get to her. She would show him; she would show his mother.

Stalking after her fiancé, Sakura entered the dining room and sat next to Syaoran, flinging a thick napkin across her lap.

"Sakura, are you feeling alright? You look a little pale," Meiling frowned with concern.

Sakura looked at Syaoran purposefully before turning towards the crimson-eyed girl and grinning. "Yes, I'm much better than alright," she replied cheerfully, rubbing Syaoran's right arm lovingly.

Meiling giggled. Syaoran, however, pursed his lips into a thin line and stared at Sakura, his eyebrows knotted together.

_Strike one._

"I'm sorry I was gone so long."

"It's fine," Hiro finally spoke, offering Sakura a kind smile.

"Tardiness is rude," Yelan commented, taking a bite of her food, looking at the younger woman disapprovingly.

Before another hurtful comment could be hurled towards Sakura, Hiro quickly jumped in with a question.

"So how did you two meet?"

Yelan smirked, eyeing her son and his fiancée. "Yes, do tell us how you met."

Syaoran blanked. They had completely forgotten to make something up and get it straight between themselves.

_Shit!_ Panic blossomed within him although there was no sign of such a thing on the outside. He carefully placed his fork down and chewed his food slowly, attempting to buy more time to construct his lie, but before he could even think about opening his mouth, Sakura had already started talking. Syaoran quickly reached for his glass of red wine to wash the food down, hoping his supposed fiancé was capable of lying successfully.

"He came into my flower shop to purchase a gift for his friends' girlfriend's birthday, but he was so busy staring at me that he ended up tripping over his own two feet."

Syaoran choked on his wine and began coughing hysterically, trying to catch his breath. Feigning worry, Sakura hurried to pat the amber eyed man on the back. _Yes. Choke on your disgusting, expensive wine._

"Are you alright dear?"

Syaoran didn't miss the mockery evident in her eyes.

_Strike two_.

"Yes I'm fine, darling."

Sakura smiled innocently and turned back to her plate, voicing her relief. She proceeded to pop some food in her mouth, blatantly ignoring the warning in Syaoran's voice.

Yelan raised her eyebrows at the two. "How lon-"

Syaoran cut his mother off before she could ask whatever she was thinking. He couldn't risk another question being asked; a question that they had stupidly forgotten to prepare for. "We should discuss the wedding," he suggested, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

Yelan gasped, shock evident on her face. "Why so soon?"

Sakura piped in before Syaoran had the shadow of a chance. "Oh we are deeply in love Mrs. Li. He just can't keep his hands off me," she giggled, wiping at her own mouth before continuing. "As honorable as he is, it seems to be getting harder and harder for me to convince him to wait until after the wedding."

Meiling snickered, Yelan looked aghast, Hiro politely continued eating his food and Syaoran went rigid.

_Strike three_.

-

When dinner was over with, Syaoran drove silently through the streets, his eyes cold, hard, and set straight ahead.

Sakura knew she had gone too far during dinner, but it wasn't until her fiancé completely passed their apartments complex did fear truly settle into her.

The young woman studied the driver through the corner of her eyes. He hadn't said one word since they left the Li mansion.

At the turn of a corner, Little Blossom came into view and Sakura was suddenly finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. Swiftly and fluidly, Syaoran parked the car, turned the engine off, threw his door open and stalked up to the store. The emerald-eyed beauty scrambled out after him, barely keeping up with his long and powerful strides.

"What are you doing?" She squeaked, despite her efforts to sound solid.

The chocolate-haired man ignored her question and proceeded to unlock the front door before stepping in. Sakura gulped and followed suit, instinctively keeping a good distance between her and the enraged man. She watched as he paced back and forth for a minute, looking around the store, his eyes glowing with fury in the dim light flooding in from the street lamps outside.

Syaoran abruptly stopped in front of one of the many display shelves and took hold of a large, beautiful, glass vase. He seemed to examine it for a moment before angrily throwing it across the room and watching it shatter into a million pieces.

Sakura jumped and screamed, surprised and shaken by his unexpected display of emotions. And before she knew it, Syaoran was growling audibly and destroying more of her precious merchandise.

"Stop! Syaoran stop!" She cried as a particular vase whizzed by her head and smashed into the wall. "STOP IT!" She screamed, running up to him and grabbing hold of his arms just as he was getting ready to seize another vase.

Syaoran grabbed Sakura's arms roughly and shook her, his tightening grip digging into her flesh.

Sakura winced in pain. "You're hurti-"

"Shut up!" Amber eyes burned into emerald pools, conveying a deep hate. "Did you not understand me when I said you had better not ruin my reputation? Did you think I was messing around?!" Syaoran yelled, forcefully pushing the girl away, causing her to stumble and fall on her backside.

Sakura sat there utterly bewildered and stunned, her eyes wide with fear as she watched him push over a large container holding a vast selection of silk flowers. He snarled and kicked another container over, shouting about the stupid female race and how she'd jeopardized the image he had so carefully constructed.

Satisfied with the destruction he'd caused, Syaoran stormed out of the shop and into his car, slamming his door in anger.

Before she could pick herself up, Sakura heard the unmistakable sound of tires screeching off. He had left her here with no safe way of getting back home at this ungodly hour.

As she slowly took a look around her store, Sakura began to shake, the severity of Syaoran's dangerous behavior finally hitting home. He could have easily killed her or done any number of other horrible things that existed.

Sakura let go of the breath she hadn't noticed caught in her throat. She was too stunned to move and too frightened to cry. All she could do was remain on the floor and shake with horror.

* * *

**LYM: **We'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and adding this story to their favorites and alerts and C2s and etc :) Current stats: 

Reviews: 82  
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Wow 56 alerts :D Awesome, thanks so much everyone. Keep reviewing and we'll keep updating! Took about two weeks to finally have this ready and posted, hope you enjoyed and laughed :D Till next time!


	5. Confusion

**DISCLAIMER:** CCS belongs to clamp. Period.

* * *

**A HEART'S BETRAYAL****  
**Chapter 5: Confusion

* * *

Crisp and cool night-air raked through Syaoran's hair and chilled his hot flesh as he zoomed down the empty streets. The looming, still shadows of the many buildings whizzing passed the car's open window gave off a ghostly affect, seeming as though no living being inhabited the area anymore. But the amber-eyed man was too angry, annoyed and frustrated to notice. 

_God damnit!_ He thought, smacking the steering wheel with his palms. Shame washed over him as he drew up the memory of Sakura stumbling backwards and falling to the ground, her eyes clearly conveying hurt and embarrassment even in the dim light. He had lost his temper.

Syaoran turned forcefully into a parking spot, his tires screeching against the asphalt. He pounded on the steering wheel once more before killing the engine and sliding out, slamming the door shut behind him.

The chocolate-haired hunk stalked into the main building of his apartment complex, not even bothering to respond to the office lady's flirtatious greeting.

_Whore_. _They're all WHORES!_ His mind screamed as he gritted his teeth and waited for the elevator, glaring at the lady who dared to smile suggestively at him while he was in such a foul mood.

Thankfully for both, the elevator didn't take long in reaching the lobby. Syaoran rushed in and jabbed the 3rd floor button repeatedly. As it carried him upwards, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm his raging mind.

**Ding**

The elevator doors slid open as the bell chimed, announcing its arrival at the desired level. The young man inhaled deeply before stepping off and heading down the hall of the uppermost floor, withdrawing his keys from his pant-pocket as his front door drew nearer.

It wasn't long before he was in his complex and heading straight for the shower.

Syaoran stepped out of the bathroom no more than five minutes later, a fluffy white towel wrapped snugly around his waist. He slid the top drawer of his dresser open and pulled out a pair of dark green pajama pants, quickly pulling them on before proceeding to towel-dry his hair. Once satisfied, he threw the damp towel into the clothes hamper and shut the lights. As he slid under the thin sheet of his bed, his dark eyes caught sight of large glowing numbers.

_12:57,_ he thought, his mind racing back to Sakura and the fear that spread through her eyes as he seized her roughly.

_She deserved it,_ he tried to convince himself. _And she deserves to be left alone at that shop of hers._

As the minutes ticked by, Syaoran's excuses in justifying his actions became more and more feeble. He soon found himself looking for excuses and reasons to return to those brilliant emerald eyes and bring them home.

_What would people think if they found out I left my assumed fiancé all by herself, in the middle of the night, surrounded by glass at the shop?_

Syaoran threw the thin sheet aside and got out of bed, his brows furrowed, his lips pursed. He grabbed a random t-shirt from his dresser and slid it over his head before snatching his keys and heading for the front door.

-

Syaoran pushed through the door to Little Blossom and turned the lights on, his amber eyes sweeping across the whole of the store. The echo of footsteps resonated through the quiet shop as he made his way to the middle of the floor, only glancing down once his shoe found uneven ground. The merchandise he had destroyed still lay in pieces beneath him, a random pattern of brilliant, glossy colors.

_Blood?_ He thought, glimpsing irregular splotches of maroon red.

"Sakura?" Syaoran called out a little unsurely, his only response being his own voice bouncing off the nearby walls. Frustrated, he raked a hand through chocolate-brown messy hair and called for her again, his voice almost rising frantically. "Sakura!"

**Creaaaak**

Syaoran quickly turned at the sound of an opening door and watched as Sakura emerged from the storage room, her shoes clicking lightly against the marble floor. Right away, he noticed two odd things. The first was that she kept her eyes averted instead of using them to challenge or defy him. The second was that her right hand was wrapped with a white cloth.

"What's wrong with your hand?" He demanded, silently cursing himself for using such a tone of voice. He had only meant to ask. What the hell was wrong with him?

"It's nothing," the emerald-eyed girl whispered, cautiously shifting her arm behind her back in order to hide the object in question. But the minor movement had caused her to wince, the expression betraying the sting she had felt.

Syaoran rolled his eyes as he stalked over to Sakura and grabbed a hold of her hand.

The auburn-haired girl bit into her bottom lip in an attempt to stifle the cry of pain that had threatened to burst forth. Blood slowly trickled down towards her chin as she watched Syaoran unwrap the cloth and breathe a string of foreign curses.

"Nothing my ass!" He exclaimed angrily, taking in the sight of glass embedded within a deep, oozing wound. "This is really bad, Sakura! You should have been more careful picking up the mess! Did you even try to get some of this glass out?"

"Yes…" came her soft, sad reply.

Syaoran shook his head and wrapped her hand back up, unknowingly causing her more pain. He straightened and headed towards the front door of the store. "Come on," he gestured to the outside, holding the door open for Sakura. "And you should wipe your chin off. You've got blood on it."

Nodding, Sakura carefully wiped her face with the hurt hand, allowing the white cloth to absorb the blood.

"Where are we going?" Sakura's small voice squeaked once Syaoran had gracefully pulled away from the curb.

"My place," he replied, his tone leaving no room for objections.

-

It was well passed one in the morning when Syaoran and Sakura finally entered the apartment. The young man shut the door behind them and dropped his keys on the elegant coffee table, quickly making his way into the hallway bathroom.

Sakura, choosing to ignore the closer and more accessible love seat, timidly sat at the edge of the matching black leather couch, making sure to keep her right hand away from the furniture as the blood was starting to seep through the cloth.

Some measly part of her brain was screaming about the dress. Her beautiful, expensive, jade dress. It was dotted with blood; torn in the back; ruined.

It wasn't long before the amber-eyed man returned, a white box in his hands. He quickly settled next to Sakura and opened the box, laying it on the coffee table before proceeding to pull out an assortment of first-aid items.

"Let me see your hand," he requested, his own hand held out to receive hers.

"Syaoran, it's fine," Sakura began, keeping her hand as far away from him as possible. "I can do it. It's really late and you have work tomorrow. I don't want to be a bother…" she trailed off at the end, her voice getting a little weaker. She truly did feel bad that he would most likely not be able to get enough sleep. But at the same time, there was that small, selfish part of her that loved being cared for.

"It's alright, I think I did this to you anyway," he replied, frowning as he reached over her lap and gently took hold of her hand. "I can't sleep anyway," he added, beginning to pull out little bits of glass and laying them on some tissue.

Sakura stared quietly, watching Syaoran's smooth, artful hands work gently to remove the sharp objects from her flesh, wiping blood here and there with a number of cotton balls. She was surprised (to say the least) at his softness and lack of cruelty within the moment, and began to wonder whether or not this was his way of an apology.

"Why can't you sleep?" She asked, turning to conversation to keep her mind off the throbbing pain.

"A lot on my mind. Work and stuff. You should go run some water over this so I can finish up…"

Syaoran followed Sakura to the bathroom and helped her clean her wound before disinfecting it further with rubbing alcohol. Afterwards, he smeared some ointment onto it and bandaged it heavily.

"That should do it," he announced, tightening the lid on the rubbing alcohol and disposing of all the cotton balls he had used.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered quietly, finally looking him in the eyes. Syaoran nearly choked at the unexpected gratitude, catching a glimpse of the innocent beauty that had dazzled him that first day.

"You're welcome," he managed to force out before turning away and heading towards the living room.

_Don't let her,_ he thought to himself as he gathered up the pieces of glass and dirty cotton balls that were scattered atop the coffee table. _They're all like_ _her__, so don't let her…_

Sakura watched as her fiancée threw everything into the kitchen garbage and washed his hands thoroughly with soap. He then returned for the first-aid kit and trudged right back into the hallway bathroom.

Confused at the sudden change in mood, the young lady shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unsure of what to do next.

_Ah! I'll wipe the coffee table off,_ she decided, spying some disinfectant wipes on one of the counters in the kitchen. She hurriedly grabbed one and awkwardly wiped the table down with her left hand, deciding soon after to wipe it a second time, just in case.

"You didn't have to do that," Syaoran's gruff voice sounded from behind her as she finished up.

"I don't mind," she smiled as she walked into the kitchen, passing him on her way. She threw the used wipe into the garbage and rinsed her left hand. Spying a teakettle on the nearby stove, Sakura left the water running and headed for it. She grabbed it and returned to the sink to fill it up.

"What are you doing?" Syaoran asked, moving to stand beside the auburn-haired girl as water poured into the pot.

"Making tea. It'll help you sleep," she replied whilst shutting the water off slowly with her untrained hand.

"That's okay, don't bother."

"I insist. It's the least I can do for you after fixing my hand," she explained with a smile on her face, carrying the kettle to the stove and twisting the temperature knob to rest on high. "Besides, I drink a cup every night before bed." _Otherwise I have night mares._ "And it would be nice to enjoy it with someone else for a change."

Syaoran stared in wonder at the green-eyed beauty as she babbled on about tea. _Does she have short term memory or something? She's acting like it wasn't at all my fault that her hand got sliced up. _He mentally shrugged and made his way back into the living room while Sakura rummaged through his kitchen cabinets.

It seemed a little strange really, the stove being on at his place. He usually ordered takeout or ate out at a restaurant. It seemed like forever since he had actually cooked himself a meal. He used to enjoy it. He used to enjoy preparing meals for them…

The whistle of the pot broke through Syaoran's reverie. He quickly stood up and hurried into the kitchen, assuming Sakura would need help handling the steaming kettle. Surprisingly, the young woman was already filling the two dainty cups she had placed on the counter, along with their matching mini plates. She proceeded to add a small amount of honey and stir it into the hot water, watching in a trance-like state as a variety of herbs swirled around the spoon.

"Thanks," Syaoran muttered when Sakura handed him one of the cups. He blew into it to cool the tea slightly before taking a sip and savoring the flavor.

Both made their way back to the couch and sunk in, enjoying the hot liquid which chased off a slight chill that had begun to wrap itself around them.

"I've never had tea like this," commented Syaoran, the silence bugging him a little.

"My mother taught me how to make it. Everyday, she would whip up a pot and we'd both sit and drink it along with my old brother. But that's all changed. I haven't seen my brother since-" Sakura clamped her mouth shut and looked down into her tea, embarrassed that she had let that slip.

_He doesn't care how long its been since you've seen Touya,_ a part of her brain sneered.

"Since when?" Came the hunk's deep voice. Startled, Sakura looked up at him and blinked in surprise. He actually seemed interested.

_Shockingly,_ sneered the same part of her mind.

"Since his wedding. After that he was too busy packing and moving..." Her eyes welled with a lonely sadness. Syaoran's chest responded to her feelings ever so slightly. He had never seen such genuine sorrow.

Before he knew it, he was leaning over, his big, warm hand covering Sakura's rosy cheek.

"Don't be sad," he whispered softly, his scent washing over her stiffened body.

_Sandalwood and musky spices,_ she thought vaguely, barely leaning into his touch.

His glowing amber eyes stared deep into her emerald orbs as he leaned in further…

_Stop! Do not let her fool you with stories of anguish! They are __all__ the same._ He suddenly snatched his hand back as if licked by flames. He quickly gulped down the rest of his tea and stood up. "It's late. You should be getting home," he spoke, turning to the kitchen and setting his cup into the sink.

Sakura followed him hesitantly, her heart still going mad over her speculations of a would-have-been. She set her cup next to his and reached to turn on the water, only to have her hand pulled back.

"Leave it. I'll do it," said Syaoran, pulling her away from the sink and shutting the water off.

"But-"

"Don't be foolish. You shouldn't get that bandage wet anyhow," he said matter-of-factly, his eyes daring her to oppose him. And just like that, he was back to his crabby self.

Sakura simply nodded and began gathering her things as Syaoran stood holding the front door open.

"Thank you for taking care of my hand and having tea with me," she whispered hesitantly, shouldering her purse. Syaoran's face remained void of any emotion, his lack of response and interest in her words slicing through her. "I… goodnight."

_I don't understand,_ she thought, hearing the door shut behind her as she made her way to her own apartment. _I don't understand you, Syaoran Li._

Sakura opened her apartment door only to be greeted by her lovely cat, Tamahome. She smiled down at her adorable feline as she locked the front door.

"Hi sweetie," she cooed, reaching down to take off her high-heels and pet her cat at the same time. "Did you miss me cutie? Did you? Did you? Yes you diiid."

Tamahome purred in response and followed her into the bedroom, rubbing against her legs as she changed out of her ruined dress. She was really drained. The dinner at Yelan's took a lot out of her due to the façade she had put forth. Forced conversation always wore her out.

Sakura slid under the sheets of her bed and smiled as she sunk into the feathery softness of her mattress, subconsciously expecting her companion to join her.

But little Tamahome merely meowed from his perch on the floor.

Sakura groaned, her eyes snapping open. Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen to feed her kitty. She sat beside his bowl and stroked him as he ate, her mind wandering through her memories of the day.

A few minutes later the chubby feline licked its mouth and stared up at its mistress, nudging her with its head.

The young woman stood once again and returned to her bedroom, crawling lazily into bed, sighing in content only when her head rested against the pillow. Tamahome jumped up to her and purred, nuzzling against her neck. Sakura laughed softly and wrapped her arms around the cat, smiling shyly as the memory of Syaoran's hand on her cheek came back to her; the memory of him leaning into her; the memory of how it all felt.

She slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep, the scent of her fiancée lingering within memory's reach.

* * *

**LYM: **Hey everyone! We're REALLY sorry it took over a month to finally get this up, but PS-C and I have been running into trouble. At first she had some wrist problems and couldn't type much, then I had decided to give my eyes a break from glasses and contacts and prolonged close-work (i.e. computer). I still plan on limiting my up-close kind of work (as it only makes my eyes worse, and they've been getting progressively worse since I was little). **Hopefully Chapter 6 will be up within a month… we hope ****sooner**** though!** But if you still don't see it after a month, don't worry :D We _**definitely**_ plan on finishing this fanfic! Chapter 6 is already underway! 

And now, for those of you who didn't make the connection, Sakura's hand got sliced when Syaoran pushed her to the floor (that is also why her dress is torn from the back). The broken bits of merchandise that Syaoran had destroyed embedded into her palm when she fell backward and attempted to break her fall with her hands. The other hand escaped harm though :) That's how nice PS-C and I are ;) Hahaha.

And now you may throw rotten tomatoes at us –hangs head in shame-


	6. Cover Up

**THE AHB MYSPACE PAGE:** myspace (dot) com (slash) lympsc

**DISCLAIMER:** CCS belongs to clamp. Period.

* * *

**A HEART'S BETRAYAL****  
**Chapter 6: Cover Up

* * *

"Look at you," breathed the voice of a man hidden in shadows. "Pitiful. You can't even stand the sight of a cat. She still has your bleeding heart and you know it." 

"Shut up!" snarled Syaoran. "No one has my heart."

"Oh? Is that so?" purred the stranger, and with a snap of his unseen hand, a full length mirror materialized in front of the heir to Li Enterprises. "Take a good look, little wolf."

Syaoran turned his burning amber eyes towards the reflective surface, fully unprepared for the image projected therein. What he saw shook him to the core.

"What's missing?" The unknown voice whispered into his ear, a ghost of a hand settling onto his broad shoulders.

Syaoran whipped around in surprise at the sudden close proximity of the voice, but there was nothing and no one to be seen, aside from an endless darkness stretching in all directions. He turned back towards the mirror, only to find that it had also disappeared.

Something bright suddenly flickered to life on his far right, silently beckoning him towards it. And as he drew nearer and nearer, he was able to discern the shape of a young lady with her back turned to him. For in the midst of the dying light, long auburn hair swirled around a soft, petite body, clothed in a simple white dress.

Syaoran reached towards the woman with his hand and slowly turned her to face him. A thousand inaudible voices seemed to burst through the darkness like undetectable bats, screeching and screaming, their outrage obvious. But it was only when amber orbs collided with lifeless emeralds did the surrounding light finally blink out.

A chocolate-haired man drew a sharp intake of breath and shot up into a sitting position, his shaking body drenched in sweat. It was a few minutes before he was finally able to steady his breathing and control the violent tremors that had seized him.

"Dang it!" He growled angrily, flinging the thin sheet away from his body before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, his left hand raking through his ever-messy locks.

_5:47_, he thought, resting his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. The image of dull, sad, emerald eyes flashed across his memory momentarily, reminding him of last night's incident. _I can't believe I lost my temper. I lost my temper and almost beat her._

Syaoran punched the mattress angrily and stood up before making his way towards the window. He pulled the curtains back and lifted the framed windowpane, allowing a refreshingly crisp breeze into his dim room. Just as he was about to turn around, he noticed Sakura quickly making her way across the parking lot and towards her car.

_Why is she up so early?_ He frowned, watching her struggle with her bandaged hand. As she drove away, Syaoran was finally able to put two and two together. He grabbed the cell phone off of his nightstand and punched in the number 7, the registered speed-dial number for the cell he had purchased Sakura.

"Good morning!" Her cheery voice mocked his gloomy mood.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't tell me you plan to go to work with that hand of yours."

"But the mess needs-"

"I'll deal with it. You just get back here so I can replace those bandages. And make sure no one sees your hand." With that said, Syaoran hung up and made his way to the bathroom for a quick shower. Unfortunately, the warm water did nothing to relax his tense and tired body.

It was a mere five minutes later when Syaoran dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist, quickly brushing his teeth before walking into his closet and grabbing the first pair of jeans he saw. He had just pulled them on over his boxers when he heard a soft knock resonate through the apartment. The young hunk quickly buttoned up, reached down for the towel and strode towards the front entrance. He pulled the front door open whilst roughly drying his hair.

"How did you know I…" Sakura's line of thought was disrupted by the unexpected appearance of her fiancé. From his damp hair fanning around smoldering amber eyes to his lean waist and bare chiseled chest, Sakura was unable to recall what she had meant to say. "Took a shower?" She finally spluttered, realizing she had been standing there a couple of seconds too long, her cheeks tinting an attractive pink.

"Yes, of course," he replied, resigning not to point out her obvious embarrassment this time around. Those lifeless eyes were still burned into the back of his skull.

Sakura stepped over the threshold and into the apartment and waited as Syaoran closed and locked the front door.

"Come on," he beckoned, already making his way down the hall and towards the bathroom, where he flipped the towel onto a shower rack and began rummaging through the medicine cabinet. He pulled out a small tube of Neosporin and some fresh gauze, along with a roll of medical tape. "Alright, sit here and let me see your hand," he said, gesturing towards the covered toilet.

Sakura did as she was told, extending her right hand towards the young man.

"You planned to go to work without changing these dressings first?" Syaoran asked in a mildly berating manner as he slowly and gently began to remove the old bandages.

"I tried to," she whispered, entranced by his soft hands. The feeling of being taken care of was a warm one. Something tightened in Sakura's chest. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt like this.

An unexpected whiff of Syaoran's drying hair and Sakura suddenly realized how close the two were. Her eyes lingered momentarily on his long fingers before hesitantly traveling up to his lightly tanned hand and then further on to his lean arm and broad shoulder. She watched as the muscle of his right bicep flexed in response to his tender treatment of her wound. Butterflies abruptly began to attack her stomach whilst a new shade of pink stained her cheeks. She had never been this close to a strange man before.

_Stop it,_ she scolded herself.

"I'll call and have breakfast delivered here while I go and clean the mess at the shop," said Syaoran, his voice cutting into her thoughts as he finished wrapping fresh gauze around the deep gash. Afterwards, he washed his hands and quickly headed towards his bedroom, Sakura awkwardly following him. She stopped at the doorway and watched as he donned a black wife beater, stuck his wallet into the back pocket of his blue jeans and turned to face her. "Be careful with your hand. And stay here in case I don't make it in time to intercept the breakfast delivery."

Sakura nodded and followed him again as he made his way to the front entrance. He slipped on a pair of flip-flops, grabbed his keys off the kitchen counter and was out the door.

Sakura remained standing there for a moment, her eyes on the front door, the ticking of a random clock seemingly growing louder and louder. She slowly reached up and touched her cheek with her good hand. It felt too hot.

_Ugh! _She thought, a little disgusted by her school-girl emotions. She quickly picked up the remote and turned the big screen television on, resolving to push thoughts of rippling muscles and smooth skin from her mind. After a few minutes of channel flipping, she finally decided on the Science Channel and settled comfortably onto the couch.

-

Syaoran parked in one of the empty parallel spots next to the curb in front of Little Blossom. He got out and walked around to the other side of his vehicle, pressed the button to his car alarm and unlocked the door to the shop. He pocketed his keys and turned the lights on, frowning at the damage he had done the night before.

_I guess I better get started,_ he sighed, stepping over a broken vase and heading into the back room for some supplies. He returned to the main area with a large, wheeled trashcan, a broom and a dust pan.

_God I'm an idiot,_ thought Syaoran as he started to pick up the large pieces of broken pots and vases. He dragged the huge trashcan behind him as he tossed away piece after piece after piece of beautiful and very expensive glass. _How ironic. I basically paid for all this merchandise myself, and although it looks like some sort of break in, I'm the genius who smashed these things._

Syaoran almost wanted to laugh at himself. He wanted to laugh in disgust at the way he was handling his emotions. He thought he had everything under control, but as his forehead creased and his hands made quick work of the broken pottery, he realized how wrong he was. He was lashing out at the wrong woman.

_Dang it! _He growled as a piece of glass slipped from his grasp and slit the skin of his middle finger. He examined the gash closely and sighed, thankful that it hadn't cut too deep. Nonetheless, he made his way towards the bathroom and ran cold water over the small lesion, the stream of liquid eliciting a dull throb and reminding him of Sakura. Reminding him of her wound; a deep cut embedded into a small, feminine, soft hand. How painful it must have been – must still be. And all because of a rage that had nothing to do with the possessor of emerald eyes.

Syaoran grunted, annoyed with where his thoughts had taken him. He shut the water, yanked a paper towel from the hanging dispenser, wrapped it around his finger and went back to clean the mess. Once he had cleared the floor of all the bigger pieces of glass, the chocolate haired man began sweeping up what remained of the previous night's chaos.

When he was finally satisfied, Syaoran headed back to the supply closet in the back room and rummaged through the cleaning items, at a complete loss of how to care for marble flooring. After a few minutes of examining several bottles of cleaner with a bald, muscular fellow on the front of the container, Syaoran finally gave up and decided to simply wipe the dried blood up with some damp paper towels.

Shortly after dealing with the red stains and thoroughly washing his hands, the young man rolled the big trashcan back to its original spot and whipped out his cell phone. He quickly dialed the number to Yoshi's Deli and waited for someone to pick up.

"Moshi, moshi. Yoshi's Deli, this is Hideki. Would you like to try our new, Wild Blueberry Waffles breakfast platter?"

Syaoran stepped out of Little Blossom and turned to lock the door, pressing the phone to his ear with his right shoulder. "Yes, I'd like two breakfast combo platters."

"Okay, and what kind of drinks would you like with that, sir?"

"Coffee and herbal tea with honey," the amber eyed man responded as he walked around to the driver's side of his vehicle and slid behind the steering wheel.

"Okay, I've got two breakfast combo platters, coffee and herbal tea with honey. Pick up or delivery, sir?"

"Delivery. 1779 Rudy Moon Street, apartment 179."

"Your order will arrive shortly, sir. And thank you for choosing Yoshi's Deli."

Syaoran tossed his cell onto the passenger seat and revved the engine, gracefully pulling away from the curb.

_7:15. I'm going to be late for work, _he thought, running a hand through his hair only to be reminded of his wounded finger. He slowed to a stop at a red light and leaned his head against the headrest, waiting for the green, last night's lack of sleep catching up with him.

-

Syaoran parked his car, killed the engine and swiftly made his way through the lobby to the elevator. He pushed the F3 button and leaned against the back wall, a little winded due to all the rushing he was doing. The bell dinged and the shiny doors slid open; he pushed himself off the wall and out of the elevator and ambled tiredly down the hallway, keys in hand. He jingled them impatiently as he rounded the comer and saw a man leaning against the door frame to his apartment door. He knew the green cap and green shirt/khaki combo seeing as he had ordered from Yoshi's many times before. Syaoran's ears pricked up at the sound of the delivery man's voice.

"...gorgeous. I'd like to take you out some time."

"Sorry, I'm engaged," Sakura's voice floated towards him. And as Syaoran drew closer, he could see Sakura holding up her left hand to show the man her pink diamond ring.

But the fact that she was promised to another didn't seem to mean anything to the delivery guy. "Oh come on, just one date?"

Syaoran cleared his throat and slipped past the strange man and into his apartment, smiling down at Sakura. He wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against his hard body, noticing that she had been keeping her right arm hidden behind her.

"Hey babe," he purred, and before Sakura knew it, his lips were on hers. "Oh! Breakfast," he exclaimed after the kiss, pretending only then to notice that the man staring at him in shock was indeed the delivery man. "Did you already pay, sweetheart?"

Sakura nodded meekly, her heartbeat seemingly playing a very fast and dangerous drum solo against her ribcage.

"Great," grinned Syaoran, trailing his hand up and down her bare arm. He glanced up at the wide-eyed male in the doorway before planting a kiss on his fiancés temple, throwing a "thanks man" at the stranger and kicking the door closed with his foot. A grunt sounded from the other side of the door and Syaoran chuckled, stepping away from his future wife and towards the kitchen for his food.

Sakura stood rooted to her spot trying to calm her heart and even her breathing. It was only when Syaoran slammed one of the kitchen drawers shut did she snap out of her reverie. She watched him pick up his food and walk passed her to sit at the coffee table as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

"So," began Syaoran as Sakura joined him. "Here's the story. You've caught the flu and will be out of work for about a week or so. You're dizzy, vomiting, and weak with fever; the works."

"I don't lie," interjected Sakura.

"Well you do now," was her fiancés reply as he quickly shoveled more food into his mouth. "It's the perfect excuse. Flu season is just about over, it would make sense that you'd catch it bad right before it ends."

"And how does that make sense?"

"Because life is cruel." Syaoran gulped down the last bit of his warm coffee and stood up. "I'm going to get ready," he said, gathering the trash from his breakfast and walking into the kitchen.

"Well, wait! What am I supposed to do all day?" exclaimed Sakura. The thought of a long and empty day with only her thought and memories to truly occupy her seemed like some sort of cruel punishment.

Syaoran shrugged. "I don't know… but be careful with your hand," he said before making his way down the hallway and to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Sakura sighed and began to eat silently and awkwardly with her untrained left hand. A few minutes had passed when she realized she hadn't brought her herbal tea into the living room. She rose from the sofa and walked into the kitchen just as Syaoran reappeared dressed in a black business suit.

"I'm off to work. Stay here just in case someone comes for you," he said, adjusting his sleeves and collar.

Sakura frowned. She didn't want to stay in his apartment all day. By herself…

"I'll stay if you bring Tamahome," she voiced, sipping her delicious, honey-sweet tea.

Syaoran looked confused. "Who or what is Tamahome?"

"My cat." Sakura rolled her eyes.

An almost visible light bulb seemed to flicker to life on top of Syaoran's head. "That nasty, diseased filled, worthless bag of fat and bones is not coming to this apartment!"

"Tamahome is not diseased with anything! He's perfect and priceless!" Sakura exclaimed, aghast at the thought of anyone thinking badly of her precious cat.

Her fiancé remained silent, the nightmare he had had earlier flooding back to him.

"Fine, then I'll just have to go and stay in my own apartment."

Syaoran growled, threw the front door open and glared at Sakura before slamming it shut. He stalked across the wide hall and unlocked her apartment door.

Seven minutes later found Syaoran standing in front of his apartment door with a feline pinned under his right arm.

"Now listen to me you Homatoema," he hissed threateningly, shaking the cat a bit. "I'm very familiar with your kind. If you even think about scratching my furniture, spraying your stuff, coughing up hairballs or doing whatever else the little evil Homatoema leprechaun tells you to do, I'll shave you."

Syaoran looked up at the sound of the door to his apartment abruptly swinging open, and saw Sakura standing there with a dainty eyebrow arched.

"Who're you talking to?" She asked, sticking her head out to look down both ends of the hall.

Tamahome suddenly snarled and hissed, wriggling free of Syaoran and running into the apartment and under the couch in the living room.

"Damn cat!" Syaoran growled. He had just turned around to leave when Sakura called his name. "What?"

"His food and litter box?"

"Are you serious?" Syaoran exclaimed and looked at his watch, which read 7: 56. He looked back up at Sakura and saw that she was indeed serious. The young man quickly fetched the needed items and returned to his apartment, where he found his fiancé kneeling down in front of the couch, trying to coax her pet out. He shook his head and set the kitty-essentials on the floor in the hallway bathroom before rushing out of the apartment. Sakura called out a quick "Thank you!" just as he had shut the door and locked it. There was now way he was going to make it to work on time.

At last, Sakura was able to persuade Tamahome to come out. He jumped onto the table and meowed, sniffing curiously at Sakura's breakfast as she resumed eating. Once she finished, she picked up the empty plastic container and tossed it in the garbage. She sipped at her tea as she walked to the spare room Syaoran had, her little fuzz ball following.

Sakura's jaw all but dropped to the floor in awe at the back wall of the room. It consisted of bookshelves from floor to ceiling, all entirely covered with a variety of books. She set her teacup on the computer desk and began to scan the title of the individual volumes, pulling one out here and there to skim through it.

Not long afterwards, Sakura returned to her cup of tea and finished it off. She settled into the comfortable leather chair stationed in front of the desktop computer, and wondered whether or not she'd be able to work the mouse comfortably with her left hand. That was when she noticed the laptop sitting on the far left side of the office desk and opted to use that instead, carefully positioning her chair to face it.

As she lifted the screen she prayed that there'd be no password needed. Luckily, there was no popup prompting her for the secret word. Sakura used her left hand to maneuver the finger pad and clicked on the Internet icon, planning to check her very much neglected email. She hadn't checked it since the day before Syaoran had crashed in to her life. She had been too busy with moving and getting settled in that she hadn't had a chance to visit Chiharu and use her friend's home computer.

_Chiharu! I should call her. Ugh! Why is the connection going slow?! _

Sakura drummed her fingers against the hard wood of the desk, her emerald green eyes locking on to the ring that decorated her left hand. She touched the large, pink diamond with the forefinger of her bandaged hand. It was definitely gorgeous. But she wished there could have been some sort of meaning or emotion attached to the jewel. She wished it was special to her. 

Sakura shook her head and sighed, looking back up at the screen to find that the laptop had finally decided to connect to the internet and upload the home page. She quickly directed the browser to her email provider and logged in.

_44 New Messages… Probably 43 of those are nothing but junk, _she thought, clicking the inbox link to find an e-mail from Tomoyo. The remaining messages were indeed junk mail, and so she quickly deleted them before pulling up her best friend's letter.

_Sakura, sorry I haven't e-mailed in forever, but things with Enchant have been crazy. I actually think I'm going to lose my mind because of what's been going on. The trip to France for Fashion Week in Paris went horribly wrong! One model tripped, fell and literally broke her leg the poor girl; another model didn't even show up, which left us short. The only thing keeping me sane is that last piece, the long black, gala dress. Thankfully it was a big hit. Anyway, so what's been going on? How have you been? How's Chi doing? Gotta run! Love you,_

_Tomoyo_

Sakura smiled, hit the reply button and began the tedious task of one-handed typing. She was already slow as a snail with two hands; having the use of only one of her hands (and the untrained one at that) brings to mind an image of turtles attempting to stampede through peanut butter.

**Tomoyo, **

**I'm so sorry to hear about what happened in Paris. I would say don't worry too much about it but that wouldn't make you worry any less (sweat drop) I'm glad to hear your gala dress was a hit, I'm sure the whole collection was a big hit too. I'm doing well. I got engaged. Did I tell you that Little Blossom got a makeover? It's marvelous. Chiharu's gaga for some guy named… I forgot his name. You would probably faint if you knew how they met. Last I heard from her she was going on another date with him. Don't stress too much Tomoyo.**

**-Sakura XOXO**

She sent the e-mail and Xed out the browser before closing the laptop screen and exiting Syaoran's home office. She grabbed her cell phone from her purse and flopped down on the couch, clearing her throat before dialing the number to Little Blossom. Tamahome jumped up in her lap and walked around in a circle before laying on her thighs and meowing for some attention.

"Shhh," she motioned to her pet as the phone on the other line began to ring. She had to play sick in order to make her story believable.

As soon as she heard Chiharu pick up, Sakura coughed a few times and sniffed for good measure, hoping her friend would buy it.

_God I feel like a creep._

"Little Blossom, this is Chiharu, how may I assist you?"

"Hey Chi, it's Sakura."

"Hey, where are-" Chiharu began asking just as Sakura heard the bell above the shop door chime in the distance. "Welcome to Little Blossom, my name is Chiharu. Is there anything I can help you with today? …Okay, let me know if you need any anything. Where are you Sakura?"

"I'm sorry Chi but I've got the Flu. I won't be able to make it in." Sakura coughed and moaned like a sick person would do. "I'm sorry."

"Aww, I'm sorry you're feeling sick Sakur- wait! You're sick? You hardly ever get sick… you're the Health-nut, remember?" Chiharu laughed, recalling one of her dear friend's pet names.

"Yeah, I don't know how I got sick. I guess it was overdue." She sniffed.

"I see… well don't worry about it," Chiharu smiled, not seeming at all convinced that her friend was sick. "Do you need anything? Should I drop by with some soup or something?"

"No, no. I've got Syaoran if I need anything. And of course I don't want you to catch it." Sakura felt bad for lying to Chiharu.

"Are you sure that jerk is going to take care of you? I could definitely stop by before I go to the salon."

"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you, Chi, but I'll be fine."

Chiharu 'Mmm-hmmed'. "I'll see you in a few days then? Take care of yourself, Sakura."

"Hey, how's it going with… errr…"

"Takashi! Oh, Sakura!" Chiharu giggled. "Wonderful. He's so sweet and nice and charming and funny! You really need to meet him."

Sakura laughed but coughed midway to feign sickness. She sniffled and cleared her throat. "That's great. I'm-"

"_Miss!__"_

"Sorry, Saku, duty calls. See you when you get better! Bye!"

Sakura didn't have time to say goodbye before Chiharu hung up. She set her phone on the coffee table in front of her and started to pet Tamahome on the head with her left hand. After a few minutes, the young cat jumped down from her lap and made his way down to the hallway bathroom.

Sakura looked around the living room and sighed. She was already getting bored and restless, and her sliced hand was beginning to throb a bit. Ignoring the slight pain, Sakura stood up, walked over to the entertainment center and sat in front of it. She pulled one of the bottom cabinet doors open and hoped she could find a good movie to pass the time.

_300. Fast and the Furious … Harold and Kumar … The Goonies? All three Lord of the Rings … Troy. And X-men._

Syaoran definitely had a lot of movies. And they were all surprisingly alphabetized. Alas, nothing caught her fancy. And so, as she began to stand up again, something hidden behind the DVDs caught her eye.

"What's this…" she muttered and reached for the grey object. "Mario Kart 64," smiled Sakura, raising her eyebrows at the familiar game. "So Mr. Serious isn't exactly all that serious."

Just then her cell phone rang and surprised her into quickly putting the game back in its original spot. She reached for her phone and glanced at the caller ID, chuckling at the irony of it all. _Speak of the devil._

"Syaoran?"

"What're you up to?" His voice sounded worn out and tired.

"Checking up on me, eh Syaoran?" She joked lightly.

"Yes. We can't afford the risk of your hand getting infected and possibly falling off."

"Sure we can, we can afford anything," Sakura replied sarcastically, looking around at the expensively furnished apartment.

"This is serious, Sakura," he sighed wearily. "After that idiot from Yoshi's saw us together, the word of our engagement is bound to spread. You'll probably be harassed for interviews and photo shoots, and if they catch sight of your hand before it heals, it won't be pretty. I really hope you haven't done anything foolish."

"Is playing in dirt considered foolish?"

"Dirt?! What dirt?!"

Sakura laughed at his sudden panic. "I'm just joking. Besides, if anyone sees my hand you can just pay their mouths shut."

"It's not that simple, Sakura. Anyway, I've got a meeting to get to. Don't do anything with your right hand."

**Click**

* * *

**LYM: **-Rises from the dead- Boo! HAH, just kidding. 

**PS-C:** -.-

**LYM:** Okay seriously, we're _really sorry_ it's been like… 4 months since we updated Things always seem to be popping up so PS-C and I decided to make **a MySpace for AHB!** YAY! Okay so it was _PS-C's idea_ but the point isss… since we can't upload little "chapters" informing our readers about what's going on (yeah it's against the rules), the MySpace page is perfect. **So if you've got a MySpace, you might want to add the AHB page and maybe subscribe to the blog**. And if you have any questions regarding anything that happened in whatever chapter, send it to us in a comment or message. That way you'll most likely be answered.

And before I forget, **here's the link**: myspace (dot) com (slash) lympsc

**PS-C:** Man I can't stop staring at the layout and blog colors O.O

**LYM:** Same here O.O

By the way, feel free to check out **PS-C's new fanfic, FIREFLIES!** It's really good and you don't have to worry about her taking a long time to update because she's written like… more than half the story already!!! _AND IT'S SO GOOD_ -jealous-


	7. Meetings and Dreams

**THE AHB MYSPACE PAGE: **myspace (dot) com (slash) lympsc

**DISCLAIMER:** CCS belongs to clamp. Period.

* * *

**A HEART'S BETRAYAL****  
**Chapter 7: Meetings and Dreams

* * *

Syaoran pocketed his phone and walked down the large corridor, towards the main conference room of Li Headquarters. He pushed the door open and stepped in to find everyone already seated and waiting for him.

"Let's begin," his voice boomed authoritatively as he sat at the head of the long desk, in a grand chair that had once belonged to his late father. He turned to his right and smiled at Wei, a man he admired and respected above all.

"But Yelan has not yet arrived," one of the attendees spoke.

"I don't have time to wait for a woman. Feel free to fill her in on what happened during this meeting. Proceed."

The man nodded and began, flipping a folder open in front of him. "As we all know, three months ago, our sub company 'Twilight' began to lose profit. But due to the recent changes and renovations, as well as the new advertising company we hired, the previous threat has been bypassed. Profits generated from the newly remodeled restaurants have skyrocketed. Specifically, we have seen an increase of eighty-five percent." He handed the folder to Syaoran.

"Excellent," the chocolate-eyed man murmured as he skimmed through the papers and studied the pie charts. After a few moments, he closed the folder and turned once again to the man on his right. "What about Li Automobiles, Wei?"

"Everything is running smoothly. As a matter of fact the dealership in America has just requested more models, and the two dealerships here in Japan are selling according to plan. Aside from that, there are three new models scheduled to be released within the next 2 years."

Syaoran nodded approvingly before turning towards a man with glasses. "And the hotels? What's the status?"

"Midnight Butterfly is still a popular, elegant and luxurious temporary-stay for all travelers. In the last two months alone, the branch in Tokyo has hosted well over ninety thousand guests. We are expecting a rise of tourist activities within the area, and thus have consulted with several engineering and construction companies regarding the costs and arrangements of increasing the number of available rooms. We have been advised to look into building a 5th tower for an additional 1373 rooms. Possible blueprints are already being drawn up. As for those branches in Hiroshima and Kyoto, they have done equally well with respect to their locations."

Syaoran nodded. "And Reverie? Has anyone got the sales reports from France and Italy? I've seen the sales report for Japan's department. There was only a three percent increase."

An elderly man shook his head whilst writing something down in his folder. "We are still waiting for the sales reports from France and Italy. I'll have them sent directly to your secretary, sir."

Syaoran smoothed his tie down as he leaned back in his chair. "Yes, do that as soon as possible. How is Fox Fire in Kyoto coming along?"

A man at the end of the long table set his pen down. "Unfortunately, one of the speakers blew out this past week due to being fed more power than it was designed to safely handle. Investigation shows that the voice coil melted. Aside from that, the electric company we had hired to hook everything up was using low-grade wires as opposed to the top-grade we had paid for. I took the liberty of firing them and searching for an alternative one. They are going over everything as we speak. Fortunately we have been able to resolve these issues fast enough, and the opening date is still set a week from tomorrow."

"Great."

"Your good friend Mamoru Chiba has also agreed to be the guest of honor for the ribbon cutting at the opening ceremony."

"That's good. What about the branches in Tokyo and Osaka?"

"Both report charts have come in." He passed the papers down for Syaoran to look over.

"Osaka's is a little lower this month. I'd like you to check in on that." He rubbed his chin. "Tokyo's charts show a healthy increase in profits." He set the papers on top of the folder. "What's left?"

"Li Estates and Dragonfly."

Syaoran nodded as the lights dimmed and a projector whirled to life. He drummed his fingers silently on his knee as one of his colleagues droned on and on about the projected images. The sharp pain in his middle finger kept his eyes from sliding shut and reminded him of the woman back in his apartment complex.

_Sakura did look stunning this morning. No wonder that stupid Yoshi's guy was hitting on her. Damn, she better not fall or trip over that retarded cat, Homatoema. What kind of name is __**Homatoema**__?!_

Syaoran blinked and tried to focus on what was being said. Unfortunately, an image of Sakura petting her cat began to form in his mind. And so, he watched a very detailed mental scene in which bits of feline hair wiggled their way under the bandage in an impossible manner and proceeded to infect Sakura's wound.

"Mr. Li?"

Syaoran looked up to find all eyes on him. _Crap! What were they talking about?!_ He turned to the projector screen only to find that it had been turned off and the lights turned up once more.

"The new cell phone models were called back. The updated and modified ones will be ready for viewing in two weeks. Also, Dragonfly Telecommunications needs more workers. They need consent from headquarters. "

Syaoran nodded his head. "How many workers are currently employed?"

"One hundred and fifty." The man handed him the consent sheet.

"They may hire on fifteen new people. High qualifications, patience and good manners are mandatory." He signed his name and passed the sheet back. "Is that all for this meeting?"

The men nodded their heads with a "Yes, sir."

Syaoran stood up from his chair, grabbed the papers he needed to file and returned to his office.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Li."

A very attractive woman smiled up at Syaoran from behind her desk, her fingers continuously clicking away at her keyboard. "I have papers for you to sign."

"Is it already afternoon?" He sighed, setting the papers from the meeting down and grabbing a pen from his secretary's desk. She handed him the papers. "Have the sales reports from the fashion branch been faxed yet, Haruka?" He enquired as he quickly signed three papers. He handed them back to Haruka only to be given an additional two documents to sign.

"They have not come in yet. I'll be sure to give them to you first thing when they do come through. You look exhausted. Bad night?" Haruka clicked swiftly again on the keyboard. He kept signing. She stapled a stack of different colored papers together and set them in a tray. She then gathered four more sheets of paper and stapled them together as well before sticking them in a folder. Syaoran handed her the papers and sighed again.

"You have no clue." He answered somberly.

"Ooh, sounds bad." She gathered all eight signed sheets.

"Where is Daichi?" Syaoran grabbed the papers he needed to file.

"Out on an errand. Would you like me to call him?"

"Yes, and bring me a coffee please."

"Yes sir, two sugar, no milk or cream?"

"Yes." Syaoran stepped into his office and exhaled deeply. He sat behind his desk and re-read the papers from the meeting before setting them aside for later filing. He then turned to his desktop computer.

A short while later Haruka entered the office with a cup in her hand. "Here's your coffee, and Daichi is on his way back right now."

"Thank you." He said as he took a gulp of the hot substance. It burned a trail from his mouth all the way down to his stomach, where it felt like fire spreading.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No, that's all for now." Syaoran replied. He tore his eyes away from the computer screen and watched his secretary retreat from the office before setting the cup down, picking up the earlier papers and swiveling his grand office chair towards a wall of filing cabinets. He slid the sheets in the appropriate folders and returned to face his computer once again.

There were no e-mails to be answered and no issues that needed prompt attention. His back was hurting and his energy was dipping quite low despite the caffeine he was consuming. His mind wandered yet again back to Sakura, and he wondered how she was faring and what she was up to.

_I hope she's not doing something foolish like washing the dishes or tripping over her own feet and reopening that wound…_

He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed Sakura's number, momentarily forgetting that she was indeed programmed under speed dial number 7.

"I haven't done anything to hurt myself, Syaoran." Sakura's gentle voice answered his unspoken question. He could hear the TV on in the background. "Sheesh."

"What're you watching?"

"The Science Channel. Did you know that some types of Herring have a secret way of communicating with each other?"

"What's that?"

"They break wind when swimming. Only they can hear it. It's-"

Syaoran laughed. "Fish that fart? Interesting. I just wanted to remind you not to do anything foolish. If you get hungry – don't cook. Order something instead. I've got some menus in the drawer next to the stove."

"Okay." Sakura looked up at the clock hanging above the stereo system behind the couch. It was passed lunchtime. Her stomach growled. She'd been watching various shows on the Science Channel, ranging from Black holes in the Galaxy to the Mysteries of the Deep Blue.

"…use the credit card I gave you to pay for the food. I have to go."

"Okay."

Syaoran hung up first again. Sakura sighed and stood up, stretching a bit before heading into the kitchen. She opened the drawer next to the stove and pulled out a pile of thick menus, making disgusted and horrified faces as she skimmed through some of the available combos.

_Double cheeseburger with large fires and a fountain drink. Why don't you just start digging your grave? Ugh! Fried foods! …A taco salad?! That's fatty and unhealthy. _

She stopped at a green menu, the heading in thick, black bold print: **YOSHI'S DELI**. She read over the menu. This place wasn't that bad; at least they had a _garden_ salad. She dialed the number.

"Moshi, moshi, Yoshi's Deli, this is Hideki. Would you like to try our tofu sub combo for lunch today?"

"No thank you. I'd like to order the grilled chicken garden salad."

"Okay, what kind of dressing would you like with your salad ma'am?"

"Lemon rosemary vinaigrette."

"Pick up or delivery?"

"Delivery, 1779 Rudy Moon Street, apartment 179."

"Okay, I have one grill chicken garden salad with lemon rosemary vinaigrette. What kind of drink would you like with that? We have this new fruit infused spring water. We've got tropical, watermelon-cherry and strawberry-kiwi."

"Watermelon-cherry."

"Alright, your order will be there shortly, thank you for choosing Yoshi's Deli."

-

Syaoran rested his elbows on the surface of Haruka's desk and waited patiently as she handled a call.

"Sure, I'll have Mr. Li call you as soon as he gets back in." She hung up the phone and smiled up at her boss. "Mr. Long from Hong Kong would like to speak with you."

"Another attempt to merge with him?" He snorted.

Haruka nodded in response and grabbed some newly faxed papers.

"He never gives up. I'll never do business with that crooked company." Syaoran muttered, running a hand through his ever-messy locks.

"The sales reports from France and Italy just came through." She announced as she scanned through the four pages.

"What's the status?"

Haruka flipped back to the first page. "Italy's district sold over a million over the last two months."

"A little low… Sounds right for this time of year though." He tapped his pen on the hardwood surface. "And France?"

Haruka shuffled to a different page. "Reverie in France was a huge success. The newest line of clothing was showcased in Fashion Week, selling over three million, beating out Enchant for the first time."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at this information. "Really?" He inquired, as his secretary handed him the papers and sat back in her chair. "Fascinating."

He quickly signed his name, stating that he had gone over the information, and handed the documents back to Haruka. The office doors swung open as she turned to file them.

"Daichi," Syaoran addressed his personal assistant as the latter walked through the doors.

"Yes?" Daichi smiled politely.

"I'm going to need you to handle the office while I'm out."

"Yes, sure, how long will you be out?"

"Three days. Sakura is sick with the flu." Syaoran looked at his watch, it was almost time to head home.

"That's fine. Take all the time you need, I'll take care of things here. Will you be heading out now?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Not just yet. I'm going to go ahead and check through my emails again before I leave. In the meantime, you should find someone to brief you on the meeting we had this morning. Also, I'd appreciate it if you could look into those new cell phone models we had to recall. I want documents drawn up with the reasoning behind it."

"Will do," Daichi replied.

20 minutes later, Syaoran leaned against the back of his office chair and rubbed his temples, stifling a yawn. He had just replied to the last email received when a new one popped up. Instead of opening it, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone and dialed Sakura's number for the third time that day. He hung up when Sakura's voicemail flooded the ear piece. _Maybe she was in the bathroom?_

He redialed after a few minuets and waited. Again, it went to her voicemail. Syaoran looked at the clock:

_4:38… Maybe Sakura fell and bumped her head… or slipped and fell and the wound bled so much she fainted? Then that stupid Homatoema is licking it!_

Syaoran pocketed his phone, logged off his computer and grabbed his blazer from the back of his chair. "Daichi?" He called out as he shrugged into the blazer and stepped out of his office. Daichi wasn't at his desk. "Haruka, I'm heading out early. Tell Daichi to finish the e-mails for me."

"Sure thing." Haruka smiled. "I hope Sakura gets to feeling better."

Syaoran walked out of the office and down the long hallway towards the elevators.

-

Sakura switched off the TV. She had had enough of the cooking show. With the obnoxious jokes and puns; the man was just plain annoying. She stood up from the couch and stretched tiredly, throwing a quick glance at the clock. It read 4:29.

_Ugh, there's nothing to do,_ she thought, starting down the hallway and towards Syaoran's bedroom. _I already checked my email like seven times even…_

Sakura entered the bedroom sluggishly, her body instantly feeling heavy at the sight of the large queen size bed in the middle of the dim room. She walked closer, toughing the black and gold comforter with her fingertips.

_Soft and fluffy,_ was her only thought as she crawled onto the bed and laid on her back, staring up at the textured ceiling. Her body quickly relaxed into the comfortable mattress as her mind wandered.

It was too silent. The emptiness and seemingly lack of warmth and love in Syaoran's apartment made her feel extremely alone. She thought back at the time when she lived with her mother and brother. There was always some kind of noise, always some kind of presence there to chase off the onslaught of loneliness, even when there was no one in the house except for herself.

Sakura lay on Syaoran's bed daydreaming of the life she wanted so much. Her mother would still be alive and smiling that bright smile without a care in the world. A world where her mother and father truly loved and cared for one another. A world where they had remained married and together nurtured a happy family. A world where her older brother Touya and his expecting wife Nakuru lived closer to home.

The silence soon became a lullaby, easing the young lady into a peaceful slumber. And so her reverie of a perfect life mingled with her unconscious state. She was no longer lonely. Her mother was smiling at her as her father hugged her tightly and whispered into her ear.

"Congratulations, sweetheart."

"Thanks dad," the emerald-eyed girl replied, pulling away from her father and smiling up at him.

Nakuru squealed and clapped happily. "Oh Sakura! I'm so happy for you!" She giggled, hugging her sister-in-law.

Sakura's face hurt from smiling so much. Even Touya's steady glare couldn't dampen her spirits.

"Well, let me see it!" Nadeshiko exclaimed, lifting Sakura's left hand to the light, her eyes twinkling with joyful tears. "Oh my! It's gorgeous, Sakura! It's just lovely. I'm so happy for my baby girl."

Sakura glanced at the ring on her finger. Platinum silver band, two beautiful diamonds, a fantastic pink princess cut diamond embedded in the middle.

"Sakura."

The young lady turned around and watched as her fiancé approached her. He gently took hold of her left hand and kissed it, pouting up at her cutely. "You didn't wait for me," he said, feigning disappointment as he indicated her family and the obvious news they had just received. Before she could reply, he kissed her blushing cheeks and chuckled fondly at the innocence she exuded.

"Syaoran, my boy, welcome to the family," Sakura's father boomed, happily slapping her fiancé on the back. Nadeshiko sniffled and hugged the young man, her congratulatory words muffled and distorted due to her joyous sobs. Nakuru clapped her hands and couldn't keep a smile off her face. Touya just stood in his spot and watched the scene unfold, glaring all the while.

Sakura turned her head to look up at Syaoran; he was staring at her, a small smile on his face, his eyes glowing with adoration. She flushed and smiled back shyly, earning a comforting squeeze of the hand from the man she loved. And as the amber-eyed man leaned closer into her, his face mere inches from her own, Sakura's family members slowly began to fade into the background, as if the pounding of her own heart drowned their very presence. Here, alone, was the man she loved, and he was an absolute heart-throb. But she didn't have much time to linger on that thought.

Her mind froze and butterflies fluttered wildly through her veins as Syaoran swept her bangs away from her face and touched his lips to hers, his fingers following a trail down her cheek. "I love you, my beautiful blossom," he whispered against her soft mouth.

-

Syaoran pushed the door open, twisting his keys free from the lock. "Sakura?" He called out as he shut the door behind him. His only response was little Tamahome meowing at his feet. "Don't even think of rubbing that flee-infested fur on my pants Homamota or whatever the hell your name is," hissed Syaoran, glaring at the innocent feline as he walked past it, acknowledging that Sakura was neither in the kitchen nor the living room. "Sakura?" He called out again, taking a few steps into his home office. No Sakura.

_Where the hell is she? I told her not to leave!_

Syaoran pulled at his tie, loosening it around his neck. He shrugged off his blazer and threw it on the back of the office chair before making his way down the hallway and towards the bathroom. And although there was no light filtering from beneath the door, he swung it open anyway and checked for Sakura, frowning all the while.

_Well at least she didn't slip on the tile, crack her skull on the sink and bleed to death_, he thought wryly, walking into his bedroom whilst unbuttoning his shirt. _I can't believe she just up and lef-_

Syaoran's thoughts were interrupted by a soft sigh, his heart skipping an involuntary beat at the unexpected sound.

_Didn't she hear me calling her name? _He thought angrily. "Saku-"

She giggled softly.

Syaoran shut his mouth and raised an eyebrow in confusion. He crossed the room and circled to the other side of the bed in an attempt to see if she was perhaps on the phone or reading a book or scanning a magazine. But her eyes were closed. Her body was still and her breathing even. Despite the telltale signs, he leaned in a little closer; maybe she was playing like she was sleeping. After all, it was much too early for sleep.

Sakura mumbled something inaudible. Syaoran simply rolled his eyes and turned to leave, his thoughts on the prospect of a tall glass of creamy mango juice.

But then she giggled again and sighed dreamily. "Syaoran."

The young man stopped in the doorway, his heart skipping yet another beat at the soft, delicate sound of his name on her lips. He turned around to see if she had awakened, but she continued to mumble softly, her voice laced with happiness.

It saddened him. The prospect of Sakura dreaming of him didn't inflate his ego, but rather unexpectedly saddened him.

Syaoran watched as she rolled on to her back, her chest rising and falling softly in time to her breathing. He didn't know how long he had stood mesmerized by the steady, rhythmic motion, but when she spoke again he was jerked out of his reverie.

"It hurt," She whispered, all traces of happiness gone from her feminine voice. "Why did you push me, Syaoran?"

A rush of guilt overcame the chocolate haired man. He had figured that fixing her hand for her was apology enough, but truthfully he wanted to apologize in words. He wanted to explain that he had never meant to lose his temper and hurt her. But he couldn't…

_It's hard enough keeping my cold demeanor intact around you_, he thought. _If I were to apologize the way I'd like to, too many doors would open up…_

"I didn't ever mean to hurt you," he whispered in a deep voice before quietly stepping out of the room and closing the door.

* * *

**LYM: **Yawn Shower your praises upon PS-C as she did all her work AGES ago. Flame me for taking too long zZ Flame me… nicely P HAHAHA. Hope you enjoyed!


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